Worked for the city for: 29 years
Resides in: Charlottesville
Job title: Customer service representative for utility billing. Works with customers with billing disputes and those unable to pay their bills.
Best of times: “I enjoy all of the people around. The best times are when somebody comes in here really, really upset and they leave laughing. I don’t try to joke about it, but I try to listen to their side of the story and then try to sympathize with them to an extent.”
 Gail Harris |
Worst of times: “The things that worry me are when I know people literally do not have money, enough for their heating bills. Some people have literally brought tears to my eyes, because I get into it with them. I put myself on the other side of the counter and say, ‘What am I going to do 20 years from now when things are going to be three times as bad?’ and I hope I have somebody that’s understanding.”
Strangest moment on the job: “I took a customer’s side on something that was outside my office, and I was going to bat for them completely, and I almost had to put my foot in my mouth to help her out—and then I found out in spades that she was sitting there lying to me.”
If she were a superhero, she’d be: “Bionic Woman. She can do anything. She could see through things, she could predict what was going on. If I knew what was going on, I could stop them, the bad things from happening.”
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