Customer Empathy and Surviving the Call Center Grind
After graduating with a theatre degree, I didn’t step onto a stage. Instead, I logged into a remote call center job — working Tier 2 iOS support for Apple customers through Transcom. On top of that, I was also helping take care of my younger brothers at home. Each day was a balancing act: customer calls in one ear, family noise in the other, and me trying to keep my cool in both worlds.
The Call Center Reality
On paper, “iOS Tier 2 support” sounded like IT. In reality, it was survival. By the time cases reached us, Tier 1 had already tried and failed. That meant every call started with frustration. Restore loops, Apple IDs stuck in limbo, failed updates, and angry voices on the other end — all while a call timer ticked away and I was expected to follow strict troubleshooting scripts.
"It wasn’t just about fixing the phone. It was about calming the person on the other end — while also hoping my brothers didn’t barge in mid-call."
Drama Skills in Tech Support
My theatre background turned out to be my secret weapon. Drama teaches you how to breathe, control your tone, and keep the show going even if everything goes wrong. Those same skills helped me sound steady and reassuring when customers were panicking, even when I was juggling family responsibilities in the background.
1. Composure Under Pressure
In theatre, missed cues happen. In support, angry customers happen. In both, staying calm keeps things from spiraling.
2. Performance Mindset
I started treating calls like live performances: listen closely, keep the pacing smooth, and adapt when things went off-script.
3. Voice as a Tool
Just like projecting on stage, tone and pacing mattered more than the words themselves. Customers trusted calmness even before they trusted the steps.
Empathy as a Survival Skill
Most calls weren’t really about devices. They were about people who felt stuck or unheard. Walking someone through DFU mode, or explaining why Apple’s security rules couldn’t be bypassed, required empathy first and technical steps second. Without empathy, no fix would land.
That empathy extended at home too. Managing my brothers’ needs while working reminded me that patience and flexibility were just as important as technical accuracy.
Lessons Learned
- Patience beats panic: Calmness is contagious, whether on stage, on a call, or at home.
- Scripts aren’t solutions: Real troubleshooting means knowing when to adapt beyond the flowchart.
- Empathy is technical: Listening and understanding are as critical as the commands you run.
Looking Back
Working Tier 2 iOS support at Transcom wasn’t the IT career starter I imagined, but it was a crash course in empathy, resilience, and discipline. My theatre background gave me composure, my family responsibilities gave me perspective, and the grind itself gave me grit. Looking back, I learned that tech support — like theatre — is really about people and presence, even when the environment is chaotic.