“Call center agents are ‘social climbers’ for buying Starbucks coffee.” Netizen overhears 2 college students say

• Netizen overheard 2 college students belittling call center agents for buying coffee they cannot afford
• Alicia Rae Ranjo shared the story online and even related that the 2 students knew she was working in a BPO company, as they eyed her while she picked up her company ID
• Social media users reproached the students’ behavior and manners, and one even suggested they go back to kindergarten to re-learn how to respect others

One Facebook user shared online an overheard story in Starbucks from two college students belittling call center agents by calling them social climbers, which angered her as she herself works in the said industry of customer service.

Netizen Alicia Rae Ranjo posted the story on April 5, identifying the students from Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) that seemed to be studying Nursing, based on their all-white uniform.

“I used to wear earphones kahit walang tugtog, ang comfortable kasi kapag mag isa ka lang ta’s ganun. So ayun, umorder ako sa counter then nung (magbabayad) na ako (nalaglag) yung company ID ko, nakita ko na nakita nila yun, then pag pulot ko nakita ko yung facial expression nila, na (nagpipigil) tumawa, pero still in-ignore ko na lang.  4 lang kami na costumer nung time na yun. Ako, silang dalawa , ta’s si kuya na nasa kabilang side ng coffee shop,” recounted Ranjo.

After she paid for her coffee, she sat down near the exit of the shop since she did not plan on staying long, relating that she was only arranging her things to report to work that day. She was about to go when she overheard the students’ conversation:

G1: Nakakatawa lang kasi yung mga call center agents, feeling sosyal. Like yung pumunta sa mga (ganitong) places pero alam naman ng lahat na pinipilit lang nila i-afford yung coffe dito.

G2: Ay oo te, kasi yung kapitbahay namin ganyan yung work, malaki daw sinasahod pero nako yung mga call center company na yan bagsakan lang yan ng mga di (nakapagtapos) at ng HS grad. Mga pa sosyal na english ng english. Socials climber.

“Social climber,” Ranjo corrected the other student in her post. She admitted that her temper flared upon hearing the students’ exchange and decided to leave the coffee chain then.

“Guys, yes, (HS) grad ako, and I’m working as a call center agent at wala naman akong nakikita na masama (kung) bumili ang mga agent ng coffee sa (Starbucks). And besides yung pinambili ko ng coffee is galing sa sahod ko na pinag hihirapan ko, unlike them na galing pa sa mga allowance na binibigay ng parents nila. Diba parang ayun yung mas nakakahiya kasi, pinipilit nila bumili ng mga bagay na di pa nila afford. Dahil magulang pa rin nila nag bibigay ng mga pambili nila ng luho.  And isa pa hindi po madali makipag usap sa foreigner. Ang hirap po nila kausapin (especially) (kapag) galit na. Hindi po madali yung trabaho namin. Para lang sa kaalaman ng dalawang studyante ng OLFU,” wrote Ranjo.

She also added that back when she was still a student, she bought coffee from Starbucks but never felt the need to judge others who do so.

Her post has now gone viral with over 52 thousand reactions online with social media users reproaching the OLFU students’ chat and behavior.

“Napagtapos ko 2 kong kapatid sa College at may 2 pa akong kapatid na nag aaral sa high school. Nakakapagpadala ako ng pera sa bahay namin every month at natutulungan ko pa ang iba pa naming kamag anak. Dahil yan sa trabaho ko. I’m proud to be part of the BPO Industry,” commented Francis Loquiano Olaguer.

“What they told you only reflects (on) who they are. Poor girls di yata naturuan na maayos baka kelangan nila bumalik sa kindergarten baka sakaling ma-recall nila how to respect other people,” replied another netizen.

“Ka hilas ba! Yes girls you have the money, but you don’t have the manners!” posted Hana Silot.