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Comment by forgotmypw | Hacker News Reader

This sounds like a fun distraction from one's everyday office job, honestly. I've interviewed at another (much smaller) company that said all the staff are sometimes required to answer phones during high-traffic business times, so it is not unheard of.

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This is the norm in more industries than you would expect. A primary example is food service. You have a main job function, but you do whatever is required of you. Dishwasher busted in the middle of the shift? Grab a bus boy and have him help out washing by hand. Late night surge because some concert let out that you didn't know about or plan for and they all decided your food sounded good? Well sometimes the manager rolls up their sleeves and hops behind the line to help cook. Not enough hostesses? Waiters are stepping in to help greet and seat customers.

I remember at Host Gator the sysadmins would answer phones whenever the chat techs couldn't manage the call volume. It was a nice way to break up the day sometimes from e-mail based tickets and lead to some really interesting stories (like working with a 14 year old child over the phone to help fix some rendering issues on a website that was operated by their blind parent).

I sometimes share similar thoughts, and then I realize that my outlook on a manual job like this is one born in privilege. The 8-year-old boy in me would love to try delivering UPS packages for a week, but it would be different knowing I cannot return to my cushy, easy-on-the-spine desk job.

I work at a seasonal company in the office and it sounds like fun, but that fun wears off quickly. The demand to get packages out the door is intense, being on your feet all day wears you out. Most of these jobs are in a warehouse, so it's colder, dirtier, and just out right hard work.

Perhaps, but often the expectation is extra work with no extra pay, and your other deadlines don't shift.

I delivered pizza way, way, way back in the day, and every now and then I think that if I didn't have a fuel-hogging unreliable vehicle, I'd go deliver again for a manager I've gotten to know. Not a terrible way to spend an evening every now and then.

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