Going against my morals or being lazy?

_James

Hi, about 3 months ago I started working for a Company that I despise, they are a double glazing company that have no problem with charging horrendous prices and taking peoples pensions, all the while deceiving them.

It's the first proper full time job I've had and I feel I should be grateful seen as it's so difficult to get a job at the moment, but I have to lie to people on the phone all day. I like to think I'm quite an upstanding, moral person so it really bothers me that I actively help a company deceive people.

Ideally I'd get a job somewhere else but that's probably going to take a while, in the mean time what do I do?
I feel like I just want to leave but is that really my morals or am I just being lazy? After all, I've just gone from not working at all to working 50-60 hours a week.

Any advice or thoughts would be great.

James.

LegacyUser

I wouldnt say Lazy... your right to feel that way not exactly the most uplifting job to be doing!

Could you maybe look around now while you think about leaving, i personally wouldnt be able to work in a job like that just because it would dampen my spirit, but im an artist so i cant even work 9-5.

Sound like a nice guy OP, maybe because your so nice a decent job will come your way if you start looking! xoxo

_James

Thanks for the reply, I am looking for jobs already but there's not a lot coming up, I will keep looking though.

I've had depression on and off for years, I was fine but this job seems to be bringing it back, I definitely need to do something.

Neyite

i was in a job a few years ago that, i felt, preyed on people for a useless yet very expensive product. the calls were carefully worded that the company were within the law, but yet were very misleading at the same time. i lasted 3 days before walking out. i have never regretted it. i was getting stomach cramps from the stress of lying on the phone to people, and thats not like me - im pretty laid back.

granted, in this current jobs market, its unwise to just walk out, so get actively looking for something else, it will make you feel better knowing that you might get lucky elsewhere and might not have to lie for much longer.

LegacyUser

Would college or study be of any interest to you, when i was going through a tough time and i was depressed i got into college and it saved my life, i went back as a mature student, it was amazing the support you get, i got my rent paid, a weekly btea allowance, 6k grant, reg fee paid, field trips paid, i managed to gain great confidence and got a job teaching art after and now im an artist full time, before that i was selling fish, and then loads of other crappy jobs, depressed and with no confidence, its great when you work at something fulfilling, if you are good with people on the phone then you sound like you would be good with people in general, do you have any dream job you would like to do?

LegacyUser

What sort of stuff do you actively lie about?
Is there any way you could evade answering so technically you're not lying outright?
Or any way to stick wholly to facts? Ie: any loopholes (truthful, honest ones!) in this companys' practice that you could exploit for your, and the general publics', good?

CDfm

It seems to me that you are selling a product that you neither like or believe in.

I know some double glazing salesmen get a bad rap and some companies sales practices are unethical, but you get that in every industry.

I used to sell advertising years back and lots of my sales were made on the recommendations of my customers. I had people who prepaid me a year in advance so I would earn the commision because I gave a good service but they also got a benefit from the product.So if you have Mrs Mac nagging Mr Mac for new windows cos her neigbour has new ones and you call them up and sell to them so what.

People who work in sales in general work hard and offer a product to the public who are aware of this. Lots of products like windows are bought rather than sold.

The purpose of sales is to keep income into the company and you have a duty to the fabricators , receptionists, fitters and all the rest that you have a responsibility to too.

So OP -you are there to do a job and represent the company and part of that is getting paid and you are selling a product that has a big ticket price. Sales is a hard job and not everyone is cut out for it.

Now I am not saying that your employer is not engaged in misselling but if you are not enthusiastic about selling and not looking at it in terms of making a living you are in the wrong job. Not everone can keep that enthusiasm. Its a career like any other and you either treat it as such or you will not get on.

Its like if you worked in a bookies shop and were against betting as a social disease. Would you question selling concert tickets or clothes with a high markup and profit ?

Thats an alternative view to some that you will get here -but its what you are doing for a living and when you went to college you choose not to train as a nurse or care worker for example.

LighterGuy

... And here lies some of the biggest hypocrissy you'll see in life ... I am not referring to you op as this thread illustrates your conscience But the many people who have been in your situation:


Alot have "bended" their morals when there is benefit for them. Ie, a job or financial gain. Same people would say that they couldnt do such a thing. But when placed in a situation ... when there is gain ... its a different story.

Op, Im not some moral crusader. I used to have high morals until a few years ago. But life is one big grey area. What you couldnt do because of a moral, mightnt be the same for another. And our morals sadly change as we get older. Whats a rule for one stage of our lives, can be non-exsistant later on.

But all I know is you should never do anything that goes against yourself (which morals is what defines things) because you will change yourself. And at the end of the day you should be the person who you wanna be... and not what a situation made you. But the irony is that it is our experiences that shape us

So op. If it truly bothers you. Start putting cvs in. Yes its hard to get a job. But if you did so you could get one. Might take six months... but think of the long term

CDfm

LighterGuy wrote: »

...

Alot have "bended" their morals when there is benefit for them. Ie, a job or financial gain. Same people would say that they couldnt do such a thing. But when placed in a situation ... when there is gain ... its a different story.

It does not just apply in business but civil servants and benchmarking etc get paid from the tax contributions of ordinary workers - so there is a lot of self interest out there.

Nurses and teachers take industrial action proving they do not work for the love of it.

easynote

You are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either just continue and feel like you are letting others, yourself and your morals down- or quit and become unemployed.

Just do what your heart tells you, would be my advice. Nothing is worth selling your soul for, and if more people acted this way (i.e. listened to their heart) the world would be a better place. On the other hand, the company will just get someone new in to do exactly the same thing as you are now- it wont make any difference, or will it, I don't know....

But at least you can live with a clearer conscience and peace of mind...

Give yourself a deadline, when you are going to quit, until then look for other jobs, be as honest as you can in your work and if the company critisices you for being too honest- it does not matter because you are going to quit anyway.

Stick to your deadline even if you don't find a new job before it, your selfworth is more important than any job and the only way to build selfworth is by being true to ourselves.

LegacyUser

Not lazy!

If I know what I'm doing and I enjoy the work and feel good about it, I am productive.

If I am unsure then I tend to avoid.

It's like selling a product that you don't believe in or disagree with - if you were 100% behind it, you'd really push it.

_James

Thanks for all the replies guys.

The trouble with this job is that I only took it because there was nothing else and I needed a job, it pays less than stacking shelves at the supermarket (which I'd much rather do).
It also doesn't help that I'm very good at it (so I've been told) even though I hate it, my manager's boss wants me to run my own call centre eventually.

To Snookii, I am just finishing my Uni application but that's not for another year.


Again, thanks for the replies. I still haven't quite decided what to do but I going to keep looking for jobs etc and see what comes up.

ongarboy

HI OP,

I wonder is it really the morals or conscience that is bothering you about the job or something else? At the end of the day, customers have the option of shopping around to a different double glazing company if the prices your company are quoting are rip off - you are not forcing them into paying the ridiculous prices for the services you are offering.

Does a shop assistant in Spar or Centra feel an attack of conscience when a customer comes up with a basket of goods and they charge the customer 3 times the price for what they would pay in Aldi or Lidl for the same food products?? Answer is no. It was the customer's choice to shop there. Therefore unless your company is a real cowboy operation that is charging customers for shoddy inferior work, not completing jobs or not delivering the goods promised, I think the issue here maybe that this type of role (phone based customer service/sales from how you describe) is not a role that you enjoy or maybe you are not getting on with work colleagues/boss which is causing the issue, I don't know but it is tough out there to find a replacement job.

I would actively seek out other opportunites in slightly or completely different roles but stick with the current job until you find a new job as the cliche says, it's a lot harder to find a new job when you're not in a current job. Best of luck.

silverharp

unless you feel that you might personally be compromised, I'd not worry about it. I used to work for a large subprime lender in the UK but it was a great place to work, lots of money sloshing around. Just had to make sure my girlfriend didnt read the frequent complaints about the company in the weekend papers

with double digit unemployment, first things first. You have a whole career in front of you , even if you dont know what it is yet. Dont do anything personally unethical , milk the company for all the experience you can and keep an eye over the horizon.

As previous posters said, there are plenty of rip off companies out there. You could always balance the scales by posting some general comments in a consumer or housing forum.

LegacyUser

_James wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies guys.

The trouble with this job is that I only took it because there was nothing else and I needed a job, it pays less than stacking shelves at the supermarket (which I'd much rather do).
It also doesn't help that I'm very good at it (so I've been told) even though I hate it, my manager's boss wants me to run my own call centre eventually.

To Snookii, I am just finishing my Uni application but that's not for another year.


Again, thanks for the replies. I still haven't quite decided what to do but I going to keep looking for jobs etc and see what comes up.

Good for you, you seem like you know what you want, keep putting it out there for new opportunities, sounds like you dont want your boss becoming dependent on you when you really want to leave. If you really cant stick it, go on the dole and try get the shelf stacking job, i dont believe in staying somewhere if i really hate it as soon as you leave something you make way for something new, it can diminish your spirit. All the best.

I have this up on my wall at the mo it has really helped me manifest my dream job...

I AM A MAGNET FOR MONEY,
PROSPERITY OF EVERY KIND IS DRAWN TO ME,
I RADIATE SUCCESS AND I PROSPER WHEREVER I TURN,
I HAVE UNLIMITED CHOICES,
OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE.