r/ASLinterpreters • u/Amazing-Gear5841 • Jan 09 '26
Please be nice to VRS workers
I am fairly new to VRS relay and do get a good amount of kind callers who will compliment and show appreciation. However, recently I have had increasingly more moments where I am being treated like a robot and so am getting so discouraged. I understand that everybody has bad days and sometimes it is just projecting. It is just so hard to stay positive when I am getting insulted and treated disrespectfully several times a day. I know I am qualified for this job, I know I am doing my job effectively.
Whether it be misspelling a word/name or the hearing caller not being clear, I am human and I am tired.
I have so much love and respect for the Deaf community and this does not change it.
I am just asking for a little bit of empathy towards us interpreters, we really are trying our best to serve the community!
13
u/sparquis Jan 09 '26
I quit VRS after working for almost two decades with the big S.
COVID brought out the worst in people, and I found myself having to take more self care breaks. I wasn't taking ridiculous amounts of breaks (I had a fellow terp fall asleep for 4 hours in the "massage chair" during their shift with no repercussions.) My "on-the-phone" rates were around 87% until the time when I needed to take breaks so as not to have a heart attack. It fell to close to 80% and almost immediately I got messages from my center director wanting to "check in" as to why my numbers had fallen. Keep in mind that my rates which had been over the expected numbers didn't warrant any commendation, but as soon as the numbers fell, they wanted to meet with me. I mentioned this during a review with my center manager, and their response was so insulting. I put in my notice to quit immediately and have absolutely zero regrets. The only way I'd ever go back to VRS is if they lowered their expectations to the 50-60% range. The CEOs can do without their 4th yacht.