The Circle

After the party, Mae is back at her cramped apartment, lying on the futon. She finally falls asleep for a few hours before going back to work. Mae is alone in her wing of the Renaissance, but Renata ensures her that soon the other workspaces will be filled. Various Circlers come by to help Mae get set up for work. Annie comes to Mae’s desk, and Mae expresses how grateful she is to Annie for providing the opportunity to work for the Circle.

Mae then meets her team leader, Dan, who explains to her that while the Circle is a workplace, “it should also be a humanplace” (47). He emphasizes how important community is to the Circle, and that it’s crucial that all Circlers actively participate in each other’s lives. He discusses how Customer Experience (CE) is the foundation for all that happens at the Circle.

Dan passes off Mae to Jared, who trains her in CE. Jared explains to her that customers who call should never feel like they are “dealing with a faceless entity, so you should always be sure to inject humanity into the process” (49). After providing demonstrations, he turns over the reins to Mae, who promptly scores a perfect 100 on her first query.