Call Centre: Can't Hack Silence

LegacyUser

I work in a call centre.

Which is weird because we don't take that many calls it's mostly Email and online chat.

Recently there were some changes in the company. Two months ago things were a little bit different.

There are a lot of angry and resentful people in this office. They get into arguments over an inbalance of power and people taking it upon themselves to assume power in improper ways. They hate their jobs and show contempt to management. It is a culturally diverse office which would make you think it would be a bit more noisy. But it's not. It's silent. And the atmosphere is very hard to live with.

If you try talking or striking up conversation, you are snarled at/looked at. At one stage I was brought in to a meeting room because I use my keyboard too loudly.

This place is silent. The only time you hear anyone talking is if they are giving out or complaining.

I don't know how to deal with this. I've been here nearly a year and have been on the market for most of that.

Has anyone else ever had to deal with something similar?

jimoc

MP3 player and a pair of headphones?

Lanaier

.....the keyboard thing sets of some alarm bells

Are you on your own?
Is this pretty much everyone else you are talking about?

LegacyUser

No I'm in an open plan office we're all sat together in groups..

The keyboard thing really got to me. I reported the meeting to HR but nothing more was made of it.

Not allowed listen to music on shift so can't sort the silence like that.

Thanks for the replies anyway

fg10291

Sounds like a very unhralthy atmosphere.

There is a wonderful term for that sort of place 'mood hoover'

i.e the sort of people or place that can suck the life out of a room or person.

Leave, thats my advice i've worked in similar circumstances.

With regards to being brought into an office over typing too loudly, I would have asked for that to be put to me in writing. That way if you get fired you could show it to your solicitor and have a field day, but seriously you need to leave that job

Lanaier

Yeah, I don't know what your situation is but leave if you can.

I would be totally bewildered if someone said that to me, I would literally be laughing in their face thinking they were just taking the piss.
No normal office is like that OP.

Xcellor

Sounds like a really sh1t company to work for.

Typing on keyboard too loudy? WTF.


If it was a normal call centre you wouldn't hear that from the normal banter that goes on. I've worked in one call centre while the job wasn't fantastic we had laughs.

Atomicjuicer

No mp3 players?

Leave now. We can't allow companies like this to exist - what is this, communist Russia?

Mrs OBumble

In fairness, no personal music systems isn't unreasonable if it's a job where you have to think.

Some people would love an environment where it's quiet and you can get on with the job without having to listen to colleagues boll*x on about their babies, overnight scores, grannies, love-lives, lawn-mowing at the weekend, etc.

Others hate it. Sounds like you're one of 'em. Good luck with the job hunting.