BP Phone Operator Says Hotline Is Just “A Diversion”

Despite feeble attempts to salvage it, BP’s public relations crisis only seems to be getting worse. Now, a BP phone operator has admitted that the phone hotline is essentially a diversion–aimed to prevent callers from reaching the corporate office.

The call center employee, referred to as “Janice” for the sake of anonymity, came forward to KHOU Channel 11 in Houston, Tex.:

Janice said calls about the oil disaster are non-stop and that operators are just warm bodies on the other end of the phone.

“We’re a diversion to stop them from really getting to the corporate office, to the big people,” said Janice.

Janice said the job has become emotional for her because she realizes she cannot help the many people in need:

“I don’t want to get emotional, but it’s so frustrating when these people live right there and nothing is being done to help them,” the operator said.

For weeks on end, 12 hours a day, there is a little secret that Janice said she has witnessed firsthand.

Because the operators believe the calls never get past them, some don’t even bother taking notes.

“And they just put down, type ‘blah blah blah.’ No information, just ‘blah blah blah,'” Janice admitted.

Janice said she jots down info from every call but feels like it’s doing no good.

“I just feel so bad, but there’s nothing I can do,” Janice said.

Watch Janice’s full remarks:

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