Meet the Newsday Team

http://picasaweb.google.com/pnorman811

We have 3 teams taking calls for the Tribune company. The LAT team started a week before the other two and we will start taking mock calls when we go into work on Monday. We get in at 6:30 p.m. and start taking these calls at 10:30 our time. I'm so happy that we are doing that first, rather than throwing them into the cold water of taking live calls from users. This will give them an opportunity to test their skills with real Californians.

We've named groups 2 and 3 after the biggest newspapers in their group, Newsday and Chicago Tribune. The Newsday group will be supporting Newsday, Allentown Morning Call, Baltimore Sun and Hartford Courant. There are actually 7 in this group. One was out Thursday when I took these pictures. We've decided that we will be combining the Newsday group and the LAT group once Newday has completed their classroom training and probably their On The Job training. That's what LAT is starting today. That will bring us to a total of 18 employees and will make 24 x 7 call coverage much easier. Can you imagine being just 7 people covering that span? It will be better for them and for those back home. All 18 are very bright and will hopefully settle into their jobs as they have more experience on the phone.

The Chicago team is a cast of thousands, or over 20. KJ is taking their pictures because Orlando Sentinel is one of the newspapers served by them, in addition to the Sun Sentinel and the Daily Press. I've met many of those people and have the same high opinion of them. But you will have to wait for KJ to see them "live."

Note to those traveling to India after me: The way to the heart of these students is chocolate. Please find space in your carry-on luggage for good quality chocolate bars. The stuff here is miserable. The heat is just too much for the good stuff. Our apartments are generally cool enough to prevent puddling.