[A Sip of Books] 'Regrettably... Korean Workers in Japanese Call Centers'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a point of connection with the book. We introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

This is the 9th Brunch Book Award-winning work. It conveys a peculiar resonance created by the contrast between the hardships experienced as a novice call center agent at a Japanese travel agency, the chaos caused by COVID-19, and the manualized honorific and humble expressions used in the call center, alongside vivid emotions such as disappointment, expectation, relief, and depression.

Rejection emails from Japanese companies follow a consistent format. They always begin with a polite thank you for the time given and a flattering compliment on the applicant’s abilities. The main message appears after the phrase ‘We sincerely regret (誠に?念ではございますが).’ After receiving repeated rejection notices, I reached the point where I skimmed the word ‘regret’ first upon receiving an email. If this word is spotted, it almost certainly means rejection. Even though I knew it was a courteous phrase born from kindness, I couldn’t help but resentfully think, ‘If you regret it that much, then just hire me.’

(……)

When I joined the call center, I was the one who habitually used the phrase ‘We sincerely regret.’ It wasn’t a major issue that would determine my life like a job application. For example, when a customer asked if they could pre-select their room floor, I would say, ‘We sincerely regret, but after inquiring with the hotel, pre-selection is difficult.’ Or when a customer requested a free cancellation for a non-refundable product, I would respond, ‘We sincerely regret, but according to the terms agreed upon at the time of booking, refunds are not possible.’ (From “To Me Who Could Not Sit in the Chair of Acceptance”)

The phrase “There is nothing we can do” from a counselor’s mouth is usually a euphemism for ‘No.’ To a customer demanding a full refund because the driver’s attitude was unpleasant despite a good trip, to a customer who made a hole in the wall in the room and demanded compensation but was refused, to a customer who pressed the cancel button by mistake and then insisted it was a website error, the response often begins with ‘We fully understand your feelings, but...’ Beneath the polite packaging lies a declaration that regardless of your wishes, we will proceed according to the rules. The expression ‘inevitably’ is mainly used when the customer’s request cannot or need not be accepted.

However, the word ‘inevitably’ was used in an email sent by the HR department to all employees. I had a premonition that something was wrong. After cutting through the flowery language and urgently checking, the main message was as follows:

“Due to business deterioration caused by COVID-19, we have inevitably decided to reduce staff. Whether you are affected can be confirmed in an email to be sent within a few hours.” (From “The Day Layoffs Came”)

Words from the Call Center | Written by Lee Yae-eun | Minumsa | 200 pages | 14,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.