| Title | : | Confessions of a Call Center Gal |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 061548428X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780615484280 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 298 |
| Publication | : | First published February 25, 2011 |
Confessions of a Call Center Gal Reviews
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Part of the reason that this book appealed to me, was because I used to work in a call center. Unlike Maddy, I was outgoing calls rather than incoming. Like the characters in the book, you do form a camaraderie with your fellow floor mates, and there's always, ALWAYS one person on the floor that gets dubbed The Nazi. (In my case, it was the person who sat beside me for four joyless months). I think this novel is chick lit at it's best; it has best friends that are like sisters, gay best friends (because we all have one) and a cute, sweet guy with an accent. What's not to like?
The characters are so realistic. I kept thinking, "I know these people!!" Karsynn and Maddy are excellent as best friends. They don't always agree, or even get along, but you always know that the love is there. I adore the character of Truong. He has the best lines and I kind of wish he wasn't a fictional character. Then there's Mika. Oh, Mika. If you've read any of my previous posts, you may have an inkling to how I feel about sweet men with accents.
Mika is no different. He's sweet, charming, studious and from Belgium. Oh, and he likes "girls with a healthy appetite." Sa-woon. There are certain fictional men who are so wonderful within the pages of a book, that I threaten my boyfriend with something along the lines of "if he were a real person, you'd be in trouble." Mika has joined that list. He may even be jostling for the top spot.
The novel is a very quick read. It's not so much due to the number of pages, but to the fact that it's engaging and hysterical. I had several instances where I was laughing out loud. I was that annoying person who disturbs an otherwise quiet environment. Mostly, because I sometimes snort when I laugh. The novel does start out a little slow, but all the background information that you get before the action picks up makes the ending really flow and not seemed rushed. The romantic aspect of the novel is wonderfully paced, sweet and realistic. I may or may not be jealous of a first date.
What I really took away from the novel was that yes, your life may not be going in the direction that you want it to be, but that doesn't mean that you won't end up somewhere completely amazing. Hopefully the people you encounter on that journey will be as wonderful as Maddy, Karsynn, Truong and Mika.
Speaking of amazing and wonderful, the author Lisa Lim, wanted me to mention in my blog that the second printing of the (paperback) novel is coming up in June, and she wants you to wait for that edition. Why, you ask? Because the second printing will cost less than the copies that are left of the currently out of print first edition. Isn't that lovely of her? I think so. In the mean time, I am providing a link for the kindle edition. (I'll update with the second edition paperback as soon as it drops.)
If you want to know more about Lisa (and why wouldn't you?) you can check out her blog
http://confessionsofacallcentergal.bl... She writes a lot about fashion including fitting room reviews and outfits of the day. Who doesn't love fashion and shopping, really? If you love chick lit, I'm sure that you'll love her book. I have no complaints what-so-ever. -
I have to say I absolutely adored this book - despite putting in crazy hours in work just recently, juggling guests, kids end of school events and trying to fit far too much into a far too short day, I found myself reaching for my Kindle, and this book, even when I could barely keep my eyes open!
The beauty of Amazon and the Kindle, is a chance to read books from authors that may otherwise remain hidden! In this case, this author deserves to have her name out there so this and future publications do not get overlooked!
I loved this book because it was real and relatable! So many traditional chick lit books tend to go off on a tangent to a life many of us will never have - Bond Street and Fifth Avenue are not a regular part of my routine. However, leaving college with a degree in one hand and hopes of that dream job only to find yourself with an hourly job that is not exactly creative or appealing but pays the bills -well that is something I can certainly relate to! Like both the author and Maddy, the title character - I decided on a degree in Journalism. Now my path turned out a little differently when those plans turned into a social science degree but my first job was in a hospital not the glamourous office and fancy paycheck that I had dreamed of!
In this book, Maddy, fed up with one rejection letter after another (and many of us have been there when we first come out of College) takes a job in a call center. The job is well presented with the stresses and general unpleasantness of the callers; and also services as a little FYI that we have all been on those calls and might want to take a quick breather and respect the person on the other end of the line! (The last chapter takes a slightly different and may I say excellent turn for a few pages when it leaves the humor alone and talks about the folks from all walks of life , all education levels, all career levels who did not plan to but ended up in a call center as a means to pay the bills - food for thought)
The books follows her work days, the friendships she has and those she develops, the anticipation of the 'will they, won't they' potential relationship with co-worker Mika which certainly kept me reading! I like the fact that things do not wrap up too early! It was just so well written, it felt like a peak into a normal life, not some glitzy creation designed purely for the pages of a book! There was a good deal of humor injected and I found myself laughing out load several times - the Christmas recap when the calls and alcohol were not the best mix was so funny!!
I loved being able to relate to that first job out of college - it is sometimes not what you want to do - I worked long hours in a hospital - but it is a job that teaches you more than you will ever know and those friendships developed there are ones you will never forget! And this book captured that so perfectly!!
Lisa, please hurry up and write a new book! I loved this and cannot wait to see what you come up with next! Now it makes those Shopaholic books seem , well, so fake (and those were my faves until this came along) -
As soon as I read the synopsis I knew this was going to be a humorous, light-hearted read. It did not disappoint! We first meet Madison, Maddy for short, who is unemployed and looking for a job with her best friend Karsynn. They both get jobs working for a call center and that's where the hilarity ensues! They soon realize that the call center is like a war zone, full angry customers squawking in their ears and nazi bosses looming over their shoulders. The one bright spot of the workday is Mika, a guy who's not only nice but nice to look at; Maddy is instantly drawn to him. Will she be able to snag her man or will she be doomed to admire him from afar...and will she ever escape that darned call center?
I absolutely adored the characters in this book. You can easily envision being friends with each and every one of them. Especially Maddy, she's like your witty, sarcastic, sometimes foul mouthed best friend. Karsynn's personality is a bit extreme and she makes some not good life choices on a pretty regular basis, but you can't help but love her; her and Maddy complement each other nicely, it's obvious that they've been friends for a long time. Then of course there's sexy Mika - who doesn't wish they had a sensitive, funny, smart guy with a great personality in their office? The supporting character I loved the most was Truong, a flamboyant Vietnamese man with an often-times dirty sense of humor. Many of his witty remarks made me laugh, along with his inability to pronounce the letter "r".
My favorite parts of this book by far were the calls that Maddy would take while at her job. Some customers are irate, some are clueless, and some are just downright creepy! Most of them had me laughing out loud. Two in particular are "Poida" and "Mr. Spelling Bee". You'll just have to read the book to find out what was so funny; I'm pretty sure I'm going to name my next pet "Poida" though.
The little love story beneath it all between Mika and Maddy starts out slowly and I feel like that made it more believable. They really get to know each other and become good friends; I just couldn't wait for them to finally become a couple, they were so cute together!
This was such a fast, fun read; I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lisa Lim did an excellent job of painting a vivid picture of life at a call center and kept the story interesting and hilarious throughout. And at only $2.99 it's a steal! Make sure you check this little gem out, I promise you won't be disappointed!
If you'd like to read more of my reviews, please check out my book review blog,
Bookerella -
Wow. I loved every single freaking thing about this book! I could relate to Maddy like she was an older me, someone who loves Zac Efron (because trust me, I LOVE Zac Efron) and a night in watching reality tv. And Bridget Jones being one of my favorite movies, I fell in love with Maddy's Bridget-esque personality, never being able to get things to go exactly her way. There were parts where I would find myself laughing out loud and other times cheering Maddy on in her trials as a call center gal. This book is full of hilarious moments in the everyday life at a call center. The workers at the call center are all crazy and lovable in their own way, from a hunky Belgian to a Vietnamese gay best friend. What I also loved was how nothing ended up happening perfectly. Maddy goes through trials and things take time to happen, just like real life. I just wanted to keep on reading every second so that I could figure out who would call in next to Maddy. I got this book for review from the author as an ebook, but after reading it I know I'm going to buy the hard copy so I can escape into Maddy's hilariously sweet world whenever I want to. Confessions of a Call Center Gal is the perfect chit-lit to curl up in bed with.
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Finally, it's over. But only after the unnecessary wrap-up chapter.
This book was the epitome of "telling" rather than showing. It's rare for me to give a book one star, but the writing was that bad. It was like the author went "let me throw in as many pop-culture references as possible," and then spent the next two paragraphs explaining the jokes and remarks. She even had a scene on Michigan Ave at Thanksgiving that failed to evoke any emotion. Chicago is an amazing city and after they light Michigan Ave, the area is so vibrant. We were told there were lights but weren't put into the scene at all.
It could have started with "Dear Diary," because it was like reading someone's enhanced journal entries -- you know, when the bones of the incident are the same but the journaler puts down how they wish they would have handled it rather than the truth. -
I loved this book! I laughed out loud! The only thing I didn't like was the very last few pages, where the author became a little preachy about being nice to call center employees. Yes, I have gone off a few times when my internet won't work b/c Verizon allows too many people to fight for band width and then NO ONE can get on-line....so yes, I have lost my patience w/ these poor people on the other end of the phone. But despite the lecture, it was a great book!!!!!!!!
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Heaven help me this book was awful, I'm officially calling it quits 22% into it. Any book that gives the quote "I farted! I tooted! I got electro-toot-ted!" deserves to be shelfed!
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Author Lisa Lim has hit it out of the park with a slice of life novel of the entertaining and some times oh so relatable life working in a service related job. Madison Lee, Maddy has problems finding work and finally finds a place where she and her friend can go and get training in working for Lightning Speed in the call center to assist customers with problems with their Internet. They soon find at the end of their training for the position that they must not only assist the clients, they must also try to sell products to every single person they speak too! Not quite what they had planned, selling other services to those calling in, irate already because their computers aren't working the way they feel they should. Some times helping customers that don't even know what a "desktop" is. I've found so many places in her book where I could absolutely relate with the problems Maddy runs into with the customers, her co-workers, and her immediate supervisor. Maddy also falls for a co-worker, something she thought she would never do, and I wondered through the entire book whether the gorgeous Mika was going to return her secret feelings.
The book certainly had it's humour and I laughed out loud at some of it, and kept telling myself, just a few more pages, and I'll go and .....it's easy to get caught up in this very believable story.
In the end I found out what I suspected was true, the author did work for years in a service center and was writing from her heart the story's she could see happening not only in front of her but in her head. Thanks Lisa!
Here is the description of the book I found on Amazon that would probably come from the back of the book:
Madison Lee is a fresh college grad, ready to take on the world of print media. But she has zero luck landing a job. Unemployment is at ten percent and on the rise. Desperate and left with no other options, she accepts a position as a service rep at a call center in Pocatello, Idaho. At the Lightning Speed call centtrer in Spudsville, Maddy plunges into the wild and dysfunctional world of customer service where Sales is prided over Service and an eight hour shift is equivalent to eight hours of callers bashing her over the phone. Oh sure, the calls are bad. But Maddy manages to find humor on the phone and off the phone. And with all the salacious drama behind the calls, there is never a dull moment at the Lightning Speed call center.
Lately . . . Maddy has been pining for her smolderingly gorgeous co-worker Mika Harket. Now things are heating up on the phone--and elsewhere. Don't hang up on this novel. Working at a call center has never been this garish . . . or this delightful -
Maddy is a recent college graduate and having trouble finding a job. So, she heads to rural (hey it seems rural to me at least) of Idaho to visit her best friend from College. During her visit Maddy and Kars end up each landing jobs at the Lightning Speed call center and Maddy is staying. The book is written from Maddy's view and follows her through training and onto the phone. We learn about the friends that Maddy makes of the coworkers around her and gives us a little insight into the callers that Maddy gets to help. As she grows as a call receiver at a call center and the stigma that goes with that in her personal life. Then there is Mika her friend at the call center, but maybe there could be more.
I was asked to review this book by the author and little did she know at the time, this is kind of a great book for me to review. After all where do I work? In a call center, but I know that the call center that I work in is very different then any other call center. So, I will take that part worth a grain of salt in comparing my experiences.
I did enjoy reading this book, I am kind of starting to get into the kindle. There were great passages that I highlighted to go back to or I felt really reflected how I felt about situations. The writing was great and really insightful in many ways. That being said there were on times when we were moving back and forth between Maddy at the call center and her personal life that I felt we didn't get as to know Maddy as much as we could have since we were going back and forth and moments of life were left out. We learned about the important parts pertinent to moving the plot on, but I wanted to know more about Maddy as a person outside of her relationships with these friends and the call center, who was she. Maybe, this is because I could relate to Maddy that I wanted more about her. Overall, I would say that I really enjoyed this novel. I would read more from Lisa Lim and would recommend this to other readers. The only warning I would give is don't read it while you are still working/at work at the call center, for me it got a little depressing to be living it while reading about it.
It does make me wonder how many of us chick lit readers are out there reading and writing being our dream, but are hiding out in call centers right now?
E
I was provided a copy of the book for review, but the summary and thoughts on the book are mine. -
I am one of those people who has been bemoaning the fact that good chick lit is almost gone. Fortunately, I do, on occasion, come across a book that I somehow "missed" in my quests for "all things chick lit" and Confessions of a Call Center Gal is certainly one of those books.
Firstly, although I have never worked in a call center, I have always wondered what it must be like. In my role as a Human Resource Manager, I have had to hire several people during my career, but I have always shied away from positions where I would have to deal with "call center" hirings and, after reading this book, I will definitely be staying away.
The author does a wonderful job of showing us the "real" reality behind working in this type of environment and she does it with honesty and humour.
I found myself laughing out loud at some of the dialogue and actually went back to reread a few passages that I thought were very funny or, in my opinion, insightful.
The main character Maddie is alot of fun and gets herself into situations that were absolutely hilarious (and at times) touching to read about.
Reading this book was a joy. The only "somewhat" negative comment I would like to make is that I thought that, at times, the author went into too much detail about a situation. Otherwise, a great, great chick lit read that made my week! -
I hope I got this book for free, on my Nook. I would hate to think that I paid money for this. This book is supposedly about a girl who moves to Idaho and takes a job at a call center, but I'm basing that largely on the title and the first chapter; I didn't go any farther. The writing is atrocious with misspelled words and bad grammar. It appears that no one edited the book, and probably didn't even do a proper proof-read before this lemon was hurried into e-publication. The author probably has never heard of the #1 rule of writing to show the reader, don't tell, because that's all that she does. Dialogue is hurried and unrealistic. Parts of it read more like text-speak. The first two / only two characters I met were shallow, undeveloped, and unlikable. At least one character name was ripped straight out of your nightly news. In short, this was badly written, badly edited, and is not fun to read.
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Wow, what an extraordinary book! A special vibe and unique mixture of feelings has conquered my heart and soul, after reaching the end of a hilarious story with a lot of lessons to learn from and treasure.
I have worked in the call center industry for the last 12 years; I just quitted my most recent experience on December 2020, (and hopefully the last one), as I have decided to look for different horizons, for this new year 2021.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that I adored this book, as I resonated with the main character, throughout this hilarious journey of joy, happiness and extreme fun that I was taken to as a reader. I was thrilled to confirm that all of the situations that she went through with her customers, I have already experience them as well, which was a delight for my inner self, because I was feeling identified, on a very special way.
I could feel the author's talent and passion to portray the stories within the calls and the customers with so much fun, that I was caught by my parents, laughing out loud in the living room, while going through such an amazing literary journey.
I did not wanted this extraordinary book to finish, I think 298 pages were not enough as I wanted to keep having fun for endless hours, eternally, (if I could say it that way), 😉.
Working from my native Guatemala, as a call center representative, assisting customers calling from the United States, has been, (and will always be) a challenge, because sometimes you get abusive customers who do not want to deal with your accent, or they simply do not want to understand you. I resonated a lot with this part of the book. I was also amazed by the fact that the account was expecting agents to have an AHT (average handle time) of 2 minutes, (I feel stressed, by thinking of that, as AHT has always been a nightmare for me, 🥺!) I also love when the author goes into the part of the representatives needing to work on holidays and the way they express their disappointment. I love when Maddy goes into how she managed to read her Dan Brown books while putting her customers on hold or mute! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, 😁😁!
The bond and complicity among Maddy's best friends in the call center, was beautiful and touching! That was so special, as your friends and co-workers become your family, (after spending more time with them, than with your real family).
In the end, I couldn't hold my tears, when she expressed her gratitude towards everything she learned, about the pros and cons of the job, about why people end up in a call center and the reasons of why, sometimes, being a call center representative is the only option you have, in a specific time of your life.
What a beautiful journey, what a deep lesson about the satisfaction of working for a living, in a field, that gives you a lot, at the same time that challenges you to eagerly find your real essence in what really moves and inspire you. Because she quitted to move over and start building a career in following her lifetime dream of becoming a writer, (just as it happens to me).
A standing ovation is well deserved for such an incredible book! Thank you so very much, Lisa Lim, you killed it, 👏👏👏👏💯💯💯! -
I don’t take pleasure in writing negative reviews. I especially dislike writing them for first time authors or self published authors. I really really dislike writing negative reviews for books the author has gifted me in order to receive a review. That being said I really wanted to like this book, I really wish I could write a glowing review. Unfortunately, I am unable to.
The premise of this story caught my eye because I used to work in a call center first as a customer service rep, then as a team lead over customer service reps. It really is a whole other world in that environment. The other thing that attracted me to this story was the promise of humor. I believe the book description mentioned Bridget Jones meets The Office. Should be hilarious, right? That was my hopes anyways.
My main problem with the story was the humor. There was none. I was able to identify the parts where the author was attempting to be humorous, unfortunately it never worked. The delivery was all wrong. All the humor was forced and contrived. Nothing felt natural. There is one part in the book where one of the characters sends an email joke. That was funny. Halfway through the book and that was the only thing that brought a smile to my face and made me chuckle a little. Some of the jokes were so not funny that it was like watching a stand-up comedian flounder on stage. Painful.
My other problem was that while the call center is the center of the story, some of the details get too repetitive and add too much detail. There are irate customers who call and we get the entire dialogue. It was unnecessary filler.
Then there is the relationship between Mika and Maddy. The intimate portion took way too long to develop. The characters are mooning over each other from page one, yet don’t get together till the last few pages of the book. Then when Maddy FINALLY gets what she wants, she worries that they are moving too fast. Are you kidding? Any slower and their first date would have been in the retirement home.
I really hated the first half of the book and it was really hard for me to read on. The second half of the book picks up some momentum, and the writing style relaxes a bit. Making a few humorous things happen, naturally. Unfortunately it was a little too late.
On a positive note, the author nails the call center life. I felt like I was back to work, especially with the NOT READY button. I wish the author the best of luck and hope with her next book she doesn’t try so hard to make laughs where there are none, and just concentrate on writing the story and letting what happens, happen. I think the ideas, and the talent are there. I just think the delivery needs some polishing.
Cherise Everhard, January 2012 -
Maddy decides to come visit her friend Karsynn in Pocatello, Idaho for a mini vacation. Since, she has nothing better to do, as she is unemployed. Just her lot, she and Kar end up getting jobs as Customer Service Representatives for Lightning Speed Communications. Maddy and Kar had to go through about six weeks of training. Before you knew it, they were ready to take phone calls. It was not long before Maddy started rethinking if the money was worth the headaches...the cussing callers, the constant need to want to stick her head in an oven, etc. The only bright spot was Mika. He was Maddy's co-worker. Maddy had a crush on him.
My favorite moments were when Maddy was talking to customers and her diary entries. I could totally relate. I was a call center rep for five years. The irate callers, the urges to give up and wanting to throw your head into an oven, the required verification process that just seemed to make the caller that more upset and finally the "Not Ready Button". If you remembered nothing else from training as a call center rep, you did remember this button and where it was located. The "Not Ready Button" says it all. If you were not ready to take another phone call just yet, you hit this button and it was your life line. You could take a moment to catch your breath before the next demanding caller. While, I did appreciate the author sharing the behind the look of what a call center rep's day is like; on the other hand at times I felt that there was too much explanation. Also, I did not feel like the rest of the story line involving Maddy and Mika as strong as it could have been. They were suppose to have chemistry but it was like it was one sided with Maddy wanting more. Mika and Maddy did not hook up until about the last half of the book. Overall, if you are looking for some laughs than you should check out Confessions of a Call Center Gal. -
A hilarious comedy with some snark and punk. I fell in love with our maine character Maddison from the very beginning and just couldn't wait to find out where she was headed. Her fun adventure included curious characters, a prime location - the dreadful floor of a customer service call center and witty banter. I flipped right through the pages wanting to know what kind of caller would be on the line next or what insane corporate mandate would come down the pipeline.
I have some quasi call center experience from a previous job and boy was it fun, the characters that I spoke with on the phone. Just ask my cubie mate Maria, man we had some doosies! But I digress. I laughed completely out loud at some of the calls she took both from how crazy people can be to the reality that there are people out there who makes these kinds of calls every day. I gained some perspective on how far being nice on the phone can get you somewhere with a customer service agent.
Lim's characters were both funny and heartwarming. It was such fun to get to know each character and I loved how true and geniune they each were down to their bones. I think I have one of each in my life! I think she correctly described the people that we can all interact with on the job whether we want to or not!
Although I didn't read this at the beach, I think this would be a perfect addition to the beach bag this summer - a cute and light read that will keep you laughing throughout. I may have been reminded a little of Jennifer Lancaster's spunky humor, but I will never compare one author truly to another! -
Like so many fresh college graduates, Madison Lee is ready to apply her skills at a job. Unfortunately, she doesn't have luck finding a job right away due to the economy. She visits Pocatello, Idaho and accepts a job position at a call center. It is better than unemployment, right?
I've never worked in a call center before, though I used to work in retail and customer service. I've got stories for days. But the stories told by the main character were unbelievably funny and unique. The outrageous calls received at the Lightning Speed call center were hilarious. Maddy's life outside of the call center is just as entertaining. I felt like a call center gal sitting in the next cubicle over. Think Chelsea Handler plus argyle sweater wearing Chuy plus the politically incorrect show The Office plus chick lit. Are you already laughing?
Confessions of a Call Center Gal is Lisa Lim's debut novel. I'm already looking forward to her next release. If you like funny chick lit, ever worked in a call center or customer service, or just want to be entertained by reading about a chick's job, then this is a good choice. Order the eBook now for just $2.99 by clicking the link below or the picture above. Be sure to check out the accompanying blog too:
http://confessionsofacallcentergal.bl... Enjoy and get ready for LOL moments.
Literary Marie of Precision Reviews -
Confessions of a Call Center Gal is a humorous (and politically incorrect) novel about complex friendships and the stress and stigmas associated with bad jobs. Maddie and Karsynn (how FAB is her name) are your typical 20-somethings, fresh out of college and searching for a job. Instead of sulking and going into debt they decide to work in a call center. What follows is a hilarious adventure with EXTREMELY realistic characters and life lessons.
I've personally worked in a call center for 5 years (I know how am I still alive.) Maddie's coworkers and rude customers actually left a huge grin on my face. See all this time I thought I was the crazy one, I was the one with the problem, hating my job just wasn't justified. *side eye* But now thanks to Maddie, Karsynn, and Mika I know that customer service representatives (such a fancy title for such a crappy job) everywhere feel the EXACT same way.
I recommend Confessions to anyone who has ever worked in a call center, had a relative that worked in a call center, or has ever called a call center (that should cover just about the entire global population.) Now I can't end this review without warning the prude to stay far far away from this book. There are several culturally and politically sensitive jokes throughout Confessions. If you are easily offend than this is not the book for you -
This was another book reviewed on Big Al's, and it sounded interesting and was inexpensive so I tossed it into my queue. It's a coming-of-age tale in a very recent and modern setting, despite the location of Wisconsin, as the main character Maddie and her friends have graduated from college yet cannot find jobs in the economic downturn, so she and her best friend Kars end up working in a call center for an internet provider. The author does a good job of portraying the insanity of working in a call center, especially in the wrapup at the end of the book, as well as the friendships that can form in such working conditions. Some of the interpersonal stuff and side characters are a little stale and could have been improved, and the storyline seems to bog down and wander for a while in the middle. However, the book picks up steam (and optimism) and wraps up well, although perhaps a bit too much of a happy ending for some. This was an enjoyable read (especially for the character of Trung) and I think it would be good reading for most people, especially if it makes them think twice about being cruel to the customer service representative who answers their next phone call.
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4.5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book and laughed my butt off throughout. The author is incredibly talented and I loved her style of writing. The characters, especially Madison, were so likeable and endearing and their conversations reminded me of conversations I have with some of my friends - no one held back anything which I loved. If you are easily offended, it might not be the book for you but I can talk about farts and bowel movements for hours (ok maybe minutes) and so I was not turned off at all! While the humor was very impressive, what I loved most about this book was the romance. It was so well developed and moved so slowly (in a good way) that when it finally "happened", I practically jumped up and down. The hero was absolutely perfect and his pursuit of Madison was old fashioned and SO romantic. I am putting She's the Boss on my TBR although I am sad that Madison is not the main character since I adored her.
Finally, I hope to have more patience next time I am speaking to someone in customer service! I've never ever behaved like the horrible people in this book but I have been known to express my impatience by raising my voice... -
This was recommended to me on Amazon. I don't know why. Maybe someone told Amazon I work in a call center. Originally I didn't want to read this book because I don't really like chick lit. After some thought I convinced myself to buy it and then it sat on the Kindle for about 4 months before I finally opened it up. I am glad I read it. I actually enjoyed it very much so.
I mostly relate to the call center part of the storyline. I work in a call center for social services and where its incoming calls. Alot of the callers/calls Maddy dealt with I had an experience with, so I was laughing about those. I do have some of the same attitudes toward my job. I think this book helped me get through this past week because I feel a little better when I get to laugh.
I thought the romance part was a very girly/high schooler story, but it was cute and I was rooting for Maddy to get with Mika. I hope they stay together.
I am looking forward to the sequel. -
Not like any other chicklit novels I've read, this book is based on the true life of a call center girl. Yes, Lisa Lim used to work in a call center office. No wonder, the story feels natural, as if I'm reading a diary.
I love Maddy, she's just like me, loves reading and writing, has a dream and a courage to follow it. Like Maddy, I love to read Agatha Christie, classic books, and...Pillars of the Earth! It feels like meeting a friend with the same interests in books.
On top of that, this book has something important to speak loud about. It's about people who work in call center offices. Through this book, we come to understand everything behind the job. It changes my point of view, and certainly changes the way I feel when I talk to call center operators.
Yay...good work, Lisa! -
3.5-4 Stars.
This was a cute funny read. One of my first jobs was working in a call center so I can completely relate to this book, seriously, I think I got some of the same customers she did in this story which just made the scenes even more funny to me. I found myself nodding my head during moments as I related to her frustration and exasperation at the people who called in.
There were some moments in this book that I didn't care for (I don't think some of the reference and language were all called for) but overall it was a good read and I really liked the slight romance interest in it between Maddie and Mikah. -
Having lived with a person who worked in technical support for over 10 years, I know Lim's account of the crazy callers and office politics at Lightning Speed comes from first hand experience. Those laugh-out-loud moments kept me turning the pages.
Lim's fresh voice and ability to juggle work and romance within the narrative are amazing. The only thing that kept me from giving the book 5 stars is the distracting language full of unnecessary adverbs and cliches. Sure, there were stellar moments with the prose, but it was not consistent.
Luckily, Lim's characters and plot were strong enough to not break the spell of an enjoyable escape read. -
Destined to life in a dreary call centre, Maddy and her best friend try to make the most of it. When Maddy falls for the sexy Mika, fate and timing seems to keep them apart. Will Maddy get her man while dealing with crazy callers and supervisors from hell?
This is sassy, fun, quirky chicklit, and guaranteed to make you laugh-out-loud . Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes will love it. Lisa Lim has made me want to work in a call centre!
Fabulicious with a capital F! -
This was a very insightful story about a call center and a girl. You sort of get the backstage pass to the other end of the line, I loved it. The book is more focused on the relationship between the heroine and her friend, boss, and co-workers alike, than the typical boy/girl love story, though there is that as well.
It was an easy book yo read, very captivating and wonderfully told. I enjoyed being lost in a different part of the reality i am hardly conscious of.
4.5 stars. -
Maddy's character is easily relatedble to me because my whole career has been in Call Center’s. This book had me laughing out loud which isn’t easy to do. The friendship you forge and the respect you gain for people in general is unforgettable when you work in a Call Center and Lisa Lim described it to a T.
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Light read - but! definitely an insight at what anyone who has to spend the day on the phone has to deal with - my hats off to them for all the lunatics and rude people who call up and take their crap out on people just trying to make a living. Makes me want to be even nicer to the Time Warner reps who have to take my phone calls when I'm sniffling because my internet isn't working, lol.
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3.5 stars. This was a nice romantic comedy. The best parts were the scenes set in the call center. There were some really funny parts. I liked the main character Maddy. The story started out fast and funny but the middle was kind of slow and seemed to lose focus but the ending wrapped things up well.
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Anyone who's worked in customer service will find this particularly funny! There were so many relatable moments. By end the characters feel as though they are friends that you've shared a tear and a good laugh with.
