Working in a call-centre: is it that bad?

cashback

I was thinking of applying for a few call-centre jobs but I always hear people talk negatively about working in them. Can anyone share their experience of this kind of work? And is there much difference between inbound/outbound work?
thanks

snappieT

Prepare to leave inside 18 months. It's very stressful, and you have to be able to completely stop thinking about work once the clock hits 5, because people will shout at you about being a retard (which I'm sure you're not) on a daily basis.

It can be very fun too (esp. on a slow day)

Eye

snapscans right, about 18 months is the average life span of call centre workers, give or take, i myself was in a call centre for 14 months and in the end i left because it just got so damn stressfull in there.

As long as your not thinking about it as a career i'd say you'd be fine, there is only so much you can take of angry people screaming down the phone at you before it will get to you.

I can't say much for outbound calls as i never made more than a handfull all mine were inbound and in tech support so 9 times out of 10 the problem was talking to you on the other end of the line and you just had to point that out to them :rolleyes:

MrPudding

I suppose it depends on the call center. I never really fancied it myself but I ended up working in one, the manager really sold the job to me. Not really the normal call center though, it was a bit fancy. No real targets for calls that had to be answered or anything like that. Really good money and good benefits.

I have heard nightmare stories though, even within the same company. It would seem where I was was the exception and not the rule.

MrP

DonkeyStyle \o/

It depends on who you are really... most people buckle under the stress and leave within months, others can happily work there for years, but those people are a rare and special breed who somehow manage to healthily vent all the crap that's slung at them throughout the day.
I was in the former category. *shudder*
Callcenters are a bit like the Matrix... the horror stories don't do it justice, you have to see it for yourself.
I'd say go for it... you learn so much without even realizing it.

Dizzyblabla

Well I'm in my 2nd call centre job - technical support aswell, and I don't mind it at all, sometimes you need to remind the person that you're talking to that they need you, but other than that they seem ok. As for outbound calls, I have no idea, we only call people back if they've emailed in their request, but generally it's fine.

As for the stress, I wouldn't think there's any more stress than there is in any other job, I don't get stressed too easily though, if there's calls in the queue, they can wait, the person you're on the phone to is the most important person at the time and no sla is going to change that.

I've almost hit the 18 month mark now, and although it would be great to get a more hands on job, I'm quite happy here, and I get plenty of time off (I work shift)

It's not as bad as people make out, but then maybe I've been lucky with the companies I work/have worked for!

Humblebee

Working in a call centre is the easiest job imaginable. Worked in one through college. It was full of students and other dossers. Granted, though, we were only doing surveys, so there was absolutely no pressure.

Pay was pretty good, and hours were super flexible. The admistrators could be pricks, but my fellow workers were brilliant.

PM me if you want the phone number. They're always hiring.

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

It depends on who you are really... most people buckle under the stress and leave within months, others can happily work there for years, but those people are a rare and special breed who somehow manage to healthily vent all the crap that's slung at them throughout the day.
I was in the former category. *shudder*
Callcenters are a bit like the Matrix... the horror stories don't do it justice, you have to see it for yourself.
I'd say go for it... you learn so much without even realizing it.

I think I must be the latter then -- ooh! I'm rare and special! I wish the pay packet reflected that!!

You're definately right about learning alot though, I can give you the average temperatures in Canada, America, most of Africa, Europe, Russia (what is the obsession with the weather when rebooting a computer?!)
nah - really though, you do learn alot, if not only about different countries, about what you're supporting, I've learned more about computers here than I ever did in college...

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

As for the stress, I wouldn't think there's any more stress than there is in any other job, I don't get stressed too easily though

What's your secret?!
I spent my time in tech support being bombarded with hysterical sue-happy yanks who were more than happy to curse at me until they were blue in the face.
I know you're not supposed to take it personally, but I was stressed by the fact that I had to be as nice as pie to people who were going out of their way to be abusive, uncooperative, asshats... and although I could keep my cool throughout the call and come out smelling of roses every time, it chipped away at me more and more every day... I felt I was going to lose it at one of them soon, so I handed in my notice before things could get nasty.

I had a few people tell me that it gets easier with time and that you learn to detach yourself from it, but I'm not a robot and never will be.

m1ke

I've only had good experiences in the call centres. Although saying that, I only work during the summer months and was on good campaigns that weren't too stressful.... it's rare to meet someone who's worked in a call centre for a long period of time unless they're a team leader or manager. Also, the more calls you have to deal with the more stressful the job, in inbound I was dealing with around 30-50 a day so it wasn't that bad... however the outbound people were up over 100 and stressed, also in techsupport some days I only had 10 calls.

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

I think I must be the latter then -- ooh! I'm rare and special! I wish the pay packet reflected that!!

Yeah
I once had a customer raving about how good I was and how I must be getting paid a fortune... I responded with "You'd think so wouldn't you?".
Now if only the quality control people had recorded that one

You're definately right about learning alot though

On so many levels aswell, yeah you learn tonnes about troubleshooting, but talking to thousands of different people - you learn interpersonal skills and how to defuse hissy fits... how to manage and take control of the call, assertiveness, etc... so many things that are transferable to other jobs and every-day life in general.

cashback

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

It depends on who you are really... most people buckle under the stress and leave within months, others can happily work there for years

I reckon I may be of the former kind unfortunately. or maybe not. Anyway the longest I would intend on staying would be about six months, unless I really loved it. As regards stress, Sounds like it all depends on the place you're working in. It could be good experience alright.

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

On so many levels aswell, yeah you learn tonnes about troubleshooting, but talking to thousands of different people - you learn interpersonal skills and how to defuse hissy fits... how to manage and take control of the call, assertiveness, etc... so many things that are transferable to other jobs and every-day life in general.

ooh, can I put that in my CV?! it's true though, this Russian woman was screaching the other day that noone had contacted her and that all the approval etc had already gone in and way hadn't she gotten access to xyz... getting almost hysterical, I just told her to stop getting excited because it wasn't going to help either of us and if she kept giving out it would only take longer to solve the problem, she took a deep breath and calmed down straight away, I solved the problem, another happy customer!

Although I have had the utter pompous eejit's too, one guy called thinking he knew everything and I tried to ask him a question, and he was soo arrogant, started shouting at me that I wasn't listening to him, I got so mad with clenched teeth and my sternest voice ever, I told him that he wasn't listening to me... and put him on hold for 10mins! when I got back he was nice as pie again!


ooh, we should start a new thread with the funniest stories.. I'd say I have one or two up my sleaves!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

ooh, we should start a new thread with the funniest stories.. I'd say I have one or two up my sleaves!

Yeah this is why it's a job to take just to have done it and have stories to tell

Putting people on hold for 10 minutes though, mmm that'd be nice, but where I worked they were very strict about hold times and were watching your stats all the time... if I took more than 1 minute after a call in 'offline mode' to finish documenting the call and tidying up loose ends, I'd get my team leader ringing me up to give out about it.
I can only imagine the bollocking I'd get for leaving someone on hold for 10 mins!
It wasn't exactly the most relaxed atmosphere. :rolleyes:

Dizzyblabla

ouch! that bad? we have a thing like msn for want of a better word, but a little message comes up on our screen "You know you've been in wrapup for 10mins now"? - or "You've had that email opened for 20mins" I just play dumb - ooh! Oops! forgot about it!

and lets not talk about the Quality of tickets! - but like I said - I don't get stressed!

DonkeyStyle \o/

God that sounds creepy... as far as I know they didn't have our PC's so closely monitored, just the phones, but then for all I know they could have had keystroke loggers going the whole time (shít I hope not, I did so much boards'ing back in the day who knows what they might have seen! )

Actually I think a callcenter sub-forum would be a good idea... threads like 101 ways to avoid headset-hair (where you get a line of flattened hair running across the top of your head even when you're not wearing your headset)

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

God that sounds creepy... as far as I know they didn't have our PC's so closely monitored, just the phones, but then for all I know they could have had keystroke loggers going the whole time (shít I hope not, I did so much boards'ing back in the day who knows what they might have seen! )

nah, the emails go through the same system as the calls, so they can see how long you've been sitting on it, the max is 15mins.. they can't actually see what you're doing, although my manager has noted that he can see the big Vodafone sign on top of the screen when I'm sending texts!

Actually I think a callcenter sub-forum would be a good idea... threads like 101 ways to avoid headset-hair (where you get a line of flattened hair running across the top of your head even when you're not wearing your headset)

ha ha ha! I have no idea what you're talking about?! headset hair?! ha ha ha ha!

DonkeyStyle \o/

cashback wrote:

Anyway the longest I would intend on staying would be about six months, unless I really loved it.

Just make sure you don't say that at the interview!
Call centers generally have huge staff turnover, which is why there are always jobs available in this field.
The way they see it; it costs them money to keep training people and so they'd ideally like to hire people who're going to stay onboard.
Six months sounds alright though, even if you hate it with a passion, you probably won't have a nervous breakdown within that time.

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Six months sounds alright though, even if you hate it with a passion, you probably won't have a nervous breakdown within that time.

You really aren't making a very good case for call centre work - I prefer to call it Technical Support anyway!

You won't have a nervous breakdown, it can be a great way to meet people, and like DonkeyStyle \o/ said, even learn new things, and although I can't say it would have been my first choice of jobs when I graduated, I've had good fun and good experiences too! - It's beats Dunnes hands down anyway!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

ha ha ha! I have no idea what you're talking about?! headset hair?! ha ha ha ha!

Yeah, it's like hat hair... like if you wear a baseball cap for 10 hours straight, then take it off and your hair is flattened into the shape of the hat.
Hey, I know I'm not the only one to have experienced headset-hair... I've seen people walking around in my old job with really bad headset-hair.
Maybe it's more prominant in people with shorter hair... or maybe it's the kind of headsets we were using... I dunno.
I'm not crazy!!

Humblebee

Dizzyblabla wrote:

ha ha ha! I have no idea what you're talking about?! headset hair?! ha ha ha ha!

The real "hair danger" is all those little hairs that get caught in the foam coverings of the headsets. Anyone who can come up with an idea to avoid those is a genius. A genius and a gift to mankind.

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Yeah, it's like hat hair... like if you wear a baseball cap for 10 hours straight, then take it off and your hair is flattened into the shape of the hat.
Hey, I know I'm not the only one to have experienced headset-hair... I've seen people walking around in my old job with really bad headset-hair.
Maybe it's more prominant in people with shorter hair... or maybe it's the kind of headsets we were using... I dunno.
I'm not crazy!!

I know what it is! don't you worry, the worst thing is when you go out straight after work! NOT GOOD! :eek:
easily solved, take the headset off when you're not on a call, mine sits around my neck or on the desk until I have to take one!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

You really aren't making a very good case for call centre work

I have no obligation to dress it up... I just like people to know what they're getting themselves into

Dizzyblabla wrote:

I prefer to call it Technical Support anyway!

I don't think it's a you say toma-y-to; I say tom-a-to situation really... not all call center work is tech support... some call centers are more focused towards customer service or sales with no technical service at all.

Dizzyblabla

Humblebee wrote:

The real "hair danger" is all those little hairs that get caught in the foam coverings of the headsets. Anyone who can come up with an idea to avoid those is a genius. A genius and a gift to mankind.

eww gross!! I just checked mine, it's clear of any "little hairs" - maybe it's cause I have long hair? Humblebee, if I was you I'd be more worried that I might be going bald!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Humblebee wrote:

The real "hair danger" is all those little hairs that get caught in the foam coverings of the headsets. Anyone who can come up with an idea to avoid those is a genius. A genius and a gift to mankind.

Easy... shave the sides of your head... mullets are making a comeback.

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

I don't think it's a you say toma-y-to; I say tom-a-to situation really... not all call center work is tech support... some call centers are more focused towards customer service or sales with no technical service at all.

That's why I like to say I give technical support!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

That's why I like to say I give technical support!

Yeah I don't like to be confused with a customer service rep either, and also make a point of clearing up that confusion when ever it arises.
But when I say "call center" I'm talking about that whole area in general... don't cry

Humblebee

Dizzyblabla wrote:

eww gross!! I just checked mine, it's clear of any "little hairs" - maybe it's cause I have long hair? Humblebee, if I was you I'd be more worried that I might be going bald!

Well, i don't care about my hairs getting left behind...people should be glad to receive my immaculate follicles. It's the other people's i'm worried about. (I'm a girl by the way, dizzyblabla...although i guess i could still be going bald...*checks shoulders nervously*.)

DonkeyStyle \o/

Oh fine, but rest assured if cameron diaz got a mullet you'd all want one :rolleyes:

Dizzyblabla

Humblebee wrote:

Well, i don't care about my hairs getting left behind...people should be glad to receive my immaculate follicles. It's the other people's i'm worried about.

Oooohh.. I have my own workstation, so noone else uses my headset! ooh no.. I wouldn't like that at all!

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Oh fine, but rest assured if cameron diaz got a mullet you'd all want one :rolleyes:

emmm.. no... I got my own style! :cool:

DonkeyStyle \o/

Dizzyblabla wrote:

emmm.. no... I got my own style! :cool:

Your own style of mullet? or just your own style in general?

DonkeyStyle \o/

Sorry, I've been thinking a lot lately about mullets... and I'm not sure why. :eek:

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Your own style of mullet? or just your own style in general?

My own style in general! cheek - to think I'd have a mullet! -
Totally going off the point of call centres now!

OY

snapscan1212p wrote:

It can be very fun too (esp. on a slow day)

From call centres to mullets

In an effort to return this thread to the original topic...snapscan... i agree!

DonkeyStyle \o/

I reckon in 10 years time when mullets are cool and sexy everyone will look back and wonder why they ever seemed so grotesque.
I had my hair a bit longer a few weeks ago and I swear to God I was tempted to go mullet just for the laugh.

Anyway, yes... ahem... callcenters...
The one thing I found really cool about the high-stress environment of a call center is the sense that everyone is in the same boat... it's unlike most jobs I think, in that where ever you go in a center filled with a few hundred people, you can break the ice so easily with anyone because everyone's walking around stressed out about the same thing... nightmare customers are an instant conversation piece
I'll probably end up talking myself into getting another tech support job if I keep this up. :eek:

DonkeyStyle \o/

nevernev wrote:

In an effort to return this thread to the original topic...snapscan... i agree!

I'll also agree...
Slow days are great.
We were on the morning shift one time and one of the guys had been out drinking the night before... no calls were coming in, so he decided to take a nap at his desk.
As it turned out, things started to pick up and calls started coming in... apparently this guy had several calls routed to him, and since the equipment answers these calls automatically - there must have been a lot of customers getting through to the sound of a sleeping tech
I don't know which would freak out a customer more, snoring or deep breathing... needless to say he got in heaps of trouble.

OY

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

nightmare customers are an instant conversation piece

it is a pity how many of my conversations begin with "so this guy yelled at me today..."

Dizzyblabla

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

I'll also agree...
Slow days are great.
We were on the morning shift one time and one of the guys had been out drinking the night before... no calls were coming in, so he decided to take a nap at his desk.
As it turned out, things started to pick up and calls started coming in... apparently this guy had several calls routed to him, and since the equipment answers these calls automatically - there must have been a lot of customers getting through to the sound of a sleeping tech
I don't know which would freak out a customer more, snoring or deep breathing... needless to say he got in heaps of trouble.

sounds very very familiar - funny when there's 10 of you there, NOT funny when you're the only other one there....

WhiteWashMan

i think everyone should work ina call centre at some stage in their life.
it will teach them a thing or two about humility and the joy of customer service

i did it for about 9 months with IBm and i really enjoyed it. however, my only problem was it didnt pay enough and i worked 11 hour shifts through the night. i believe they have beetter day hours only now. but you will either love it or hate it.
again, i loved it, and the customers are fine. you just have to understand that people are calling you because they have a problem. no one phones a call centre becasue they are happy and just want to chat, so you have ti understand that people are frustrated to start with.
if they get some smart arse student type who thinks the world owes them a favour, and who thinks that just because he knows more about (insert reason for call centre here), that he is better than the end user (and by god, half the arseholes in call centres do think they are better than the people who phone in), then yes, you are going to make the customer more upset.
however, if you expect someone to be frustrated, adn are willing to let them explain the problem instead of treating the customer like a moron, then you will probably really enjoy your work.

but regardless of whether you are any good at it or not, its certainbly somthing that you should do at least once.
in fact, i think it should have been added to the list in that baz lerhman song 'sunscreen'

gonker

I work in a call centre (outbound calls) yes those dreaded coldcalling selling telephone service calls. 5 people left one day last week. People just dont show up for work. Huge turnover. Its not my carreer choice (the hours suit me). Last night I was on to a very polite gentleman and I could hear in the background "just hang up on her" I lost it (in a sane manner of course) I said there is absoloutley no need to hang up just say sorry I am not interested thanks for the call"I said"there is no need to be rude" The gentleman was dumbstruck for a few seconds I could nearly see his face. He then said. Thanks for the call I am really not interested thanks. I said thank you to him and hung up. I had had about 5 hangups before that and he just got the tail end of my anger. I know I shouldnt have done it but I just lost it. I have had whistles and sirens blown down the phone to me. I have had people saying hold on a minute and leaving me hanging for ages. YOu just have to think there is more nice people in the world than the rude people. We are just doing a job to earn a few bob.

Glowing

I am female, and I used to work in a call centre abroad for UK Technical Support.

I used to get this from the odd pompous ba$tard:

Me: Hello, Blah Technical support, how can I help?
Pompous A$$: Hello, yes, can you put me through to tech support please?
Me: You ARE through, how can I help.
Pompous A$$: No really, i need technical help with my PCI card or something ....
Me: ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I worked there for over 6 months, and by the end of it, I was close to cracking up. People really get on your nerves, they're arrogant, rude, and shout a lot. You do develop a skin for a while but it just gets too much after 6 months or so.

bluto

Try Telesales. going into work at 12. Being put on a dialer for nine hours thats a volume of approx 300 call per day and trying to sell crap insurance to people who dont give a d mn in england

Tom Dunne

WhiteWashMan wrote:

i think everyone should work ina call centre at some stage in their life.
it will teach them a thing or two about humility and the joy of customer service

Couldn't agree more.

I worked in a call center for three years, on shift. Best three years of my career.

There were two call centers in the company, both supporting internal customers. One call center was the traditional type, supporting Microsoft Office/Windows/Printers/Passwords that kind of stuff, working 8:00am-6:00pm. Our call center was shift based and was staffed 24 hours a day seven days a week. The experince I gained there was incredible - we got to play with a massive amounts of different types of systems. When it was quiet, it was really quiet. When the proverbial hit the fan, it was mayhem.

I always thought of the other call center as a type of cruise ship. You could almost picture the staff in their pristine white uniforms, and were extremely polite and professional. Us, on the other hand, were more of a nuclear submarine. Our captain was an Ernest Borgnine type character, you know the type, string vest, chewing on a cigar and nothing is done strictly by the book, as long as the job is done, who cares how it is done.

My point is that there are many types of call center, some are great, some are hell, but they are worth experiencing.

minnie_mouse

Have just spent a month doing cold calling, am quitting tomorow. To be honest I don't know how I lasted this long. People being rude wasnt such an issue but this last week it really got to me.
This week along ive been told, get a proper job, get stuffed/####ed at least 15 times, asked what im wearing/how I look and evey day without fail i wake up at least one person who was on night duty!
.

DonkeyStyle \o/

You can't really expect much else when you're cold calling... it's the equivalent of spam.
You're probably distrubing these people from their dinner to give them a sales pitch... I'd blow a whistle down the phone at you too.
Scum of the earth really.

iguana

One of the main problems with customer service in call centres is the fact that with a lot of the really difficult problems you can't help the customer.

I worked in 3 call centres. The first one was for 3 and a half months. At first it was fine, the job consisted of assesing credit aplications and I never had to deal directly with the customers. Then my job expanded so that whenever there was no new customers I had to ring up people who were late on their payments, that was GOD AWFUL! Not only had I to call people, most of who were morons who didn't seem to cop that if you bought something you eventually had to pay. Many in their teens and early twenties and up to 30k in debt. But because of this it meant there was no down time in the job. You were constantly on the phone and if you went to the toilet for more than 3 minutes or more than once a day your team leader has to fill in a report.

The other 2 jobs were in customer service. And the fact is most companies supply a sh**ty service a lot of the time. The customer is overcharged or goes days or weeks without service and there is rarely anything you can do to help them. I often sympathised a lot with the customers, and knew that the often had the law on their side, but there was nothing I could do but pass it on to a team leader, who really had no more power than me. The customers can often be excused for how p****d off they get, because the company is treating them like c**p. Of course it isn't the fault of the poor shmuck on the line, but 70% of the time they get it in the neck.

As well as having to deal with all that aggression, you are not treated like an adult. As I earlier said you get quizzed about your toilet habits. Every minute of your day is scrutinised by your bosses. Your team leaders only real purpose is to monitor you, and the rest of the team.

It's not the worst job in the world and I think incoming is better than outgoing but in the last call centre I worked in the staff turnover was less than 4 months. I lasted through 4 weeks of training, then 2 weeks on the phone. I'll never do it again, it is incredibly soul destroying. It did however give me the push to get started on my proper career.

iguana

Oh and if you want to go ahead, try go directly through the company. If you go through a recruitment agency they get part of your salary. Even if they say you don't, they are often collecting your bonus scheme for the 1st six months.

DonkeyStyle \o/

iguana wrote:

You were constantly on the phone and if you went to the toilet for more than 3 minutes or more than once a day your team leader has to fill in a report.

Wow :eek:
I don't like the sound of that "fill in a report" part... would you get an ear-bashing over it or was it just procedure and everyone remained happy?

A 4 month turnover aswell, zoiks... I thought it was bad when my old place had a 6 month turnover.

I can relate to a lot of what you're saying definitly... so many times I'd feel frustrated that I couldn't do something for someone because of regulations of what we can and can't advise... and my limited power in general.

I can't see staff turnover costing these companies all that much if they're so seemingly unwilling to listen to their employees and look at why people leave the job so quickly... instead they just keep piling on the pressure

gonker

I dont think the man whose children all lived in america australia and the uk would have called me the scum of the earth. When I rang him he said he was thinking of getting his phone for incoming calls as his phone bill was astronomical from ringing his kids but his wife said that she wanted to be able to phone her kids. When I rang him and told him how cheaply they could phone these places he nearly cried his thanks. That sort of story is what makes me stick it....and the hours oh and the mortgage

DonkeyStyle \o/

Yeah, it's just the other 90% of people, but what do they matter :rolleyes: