Call centre work how bad is it?

Lenno4 · 14-09-2019 1:20pm #1

I might have to attend an interview with a certain call centre the one with the very bad name soon. For anyone that's worked there in the past or working there now how bad is it? Is it as bad as it is made out to be?

Wanderer78 · 14-09-2019 1:49pm

Never done call centre work, but I have met many that have, some loved it, some thought it was okay, most hated it

PTH2009 · 14-09-2019 1:56pm

knw a few people who work at that company starting with an E and some stayed there for years and loved it, some last only weeks and hated it, some still there now. TBH if u get signed off its full time 40 hour weeks and ok money (full time hours are hard enough to get in Waterford city). Like many things in Waterford stories about this and that and u dont knw what to beileve. I think its best to be in the tech department instead of sales

never done that kind of work myself and hate talking on the phone so not for me id say

best of luck anyway

Wanderer2010 · 14-09-2019 1:56pm

Ill be frank OP- call centre work in Waterford has a very very bad name and I know exactly what place you are talking about. I know people there who walked after a week, others who had to leave after all the workload and stress piled on them. However, in the interest of balance, I also know a few people who didn't mind it at all. It seems to be a gamble, you might end up with a decent crowd or less stressful work. Try to take the attitude that you will give it a few months at worst and you can always look around and look for another job if its really bad after that.

Practically all people in call centres move on within a few years. If you are in a call centre for your life, you either have rhino thick skin or you are just happy plodding along on minimum wage forever.

Hello 2D Person Below · 14-09-2019 2:00pm

I did it for a while in Eishtec. I was in technical support but a big part of the job was getting people through to sales for which you (are supposed to) get commission. I was super duper at this and constantly had the most transfers every day/week/month but never saw a rusty penny. I personally found the job itself is handy enough, but Eishtec was a kip to work in. I left because I was being messed about with the commission. For some people cattle in a slaughterhouse are treated no worse.

Hello 2D Person Below · 14-09-2019 2:07pm

Just to add, I started with twenty people. There was one left out there the last I heard.

my3cents · 14-09-2019 2:12pm

Its a long time since I had anything to do with it (like setting up and trouble shooting call center phone and computer systems) but some of the ones in Waterford were known for having a high staff turnover. Someone on the job six months would be an old timer. It sounds like you are interviewing for one that has changed hands a few times and might now have foreign owners?

PTH2009 · 14-09-2019 3:23pm

a certain Turas Nua are fond of getting people to work for that company

sometimes almost forcing people too

Buckfast W · 14-09-2019 3:40pm

I worked in a call centre years ago and it was honestly soul crushing. I only stayed to get a retainer from an account that we were working on. As soon as the money hit my account I was gone. I left and went into a job that paid less but I was much happier. I could never go back to call centre work.

Aceso · 14-09-2019 4:37pm

From what I've heard from people who have worked there, there's 2 extremes, people either absolutely love it there or absolutely despise the place. And, if you are one of the unfortunate people who despise the place, you're absolutely miserable until you finally decide to leave.

A friend of mine works there and has been given a very hard time over time off she has needed to take due to a lifelong life limiting medical condition. I'm talking about time needed for appointments and treatment in hospital, not sick days or anything like that.

StringerBell · 14-09-2019 7:20pm

Some people like it some don't. I assume you won't, purely based on the sentence "I might have to attend an interview"

Wanderer2010 · 14-09-2019 7:50pm

Aceso wrote: »

From what I've heard from people who have worked there, there's 2 extremes, people either absolutely love it there or absolutely despise the place. And, if you are one of the unfortunate people who despise the place, you're absolutely miserable until you finally decide to leave.

A friend of mine works there and has been given a very hard time over time off she has needed to take due to a lifelong life limiting medical condition. I'm talking about time needed for appointments and treatment in hospital, not sick days or anything like that.

I hate that kind of crap from these companies, treating people like robots whos sole purpose in life is to make all these oh-so-important decisions selling products to customers who don't even want it. As if your health is more important than some piece of crap job where the ethos is to drive the ambition right out of new workers and replace them with another raft. No wonder it has the name for the worst place in Waterford to work.

PTH2009 · 14-09-2019 9:12pm

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

I hate that kind of crap from these companies, treating people like robots whos sole purpose in life is to make all these oh-so-important decisions selling products to customers who don't even want it. As if your health is more important than some piece of crap job where the ethos is to drive the ambition right out of new workers and replace them with another raft. No wonder it has the name for the worst place in Waterford to work.

They have all the top eye candy staff posing with the ministers etc during job announcements/openings etc all smiles and empty promises. the same top people threat the workers like ****e

Hello 2D Person Below · 14-09-2019 9:18pm

Good point about sick days. You get none in Eishtec (well not when I was there anyway). I was in hospital for a couple of days, gave them notice I wouldn't be in, brought in a cert when I was back. Couple of days later I was given a warning for unapproved absence.

Wanderer2010 · 14-09-2019 11:27pm

PTH2009 wrote: »

They have all the top eye candy staff posing with the ministers etc during job announcements/openings etc all smiles and empty promises. the same top people threat the workers like ****e

Same with most business men and women in Waterford. I have yet to meet one person who is successful in this city, be it in terms of property, accountants, hotel owners etc who wasn't a horrendous bully to their staff or an out and out absolutely horrible person. But you would never know when you see their smiling and manicured faces looking out of the newspapers promoting some event or initiative around the city. I grimace inwards as I know the truth behind a lot of them, and the high turnover of staff connected to them also tells a story.

The old adage is sadly true. Nice guys finish last.

taytobreath · 16-09-2019 5:08am

Glassdoor.ie is a good website that gives reviews on the company u are referring to, its interesting reading. But you'd have to take most of the reviews with a grain of salt I feel.

dartboardio · 16-09-2019 10:33pm

I never worked in a call centre before until I started at rigney dolphin.

Probably one of the best in waterford in terms of morale.

Tbh it all comes down to yourself. I was a chef beforehand and call centre work is absolutely fine to me.

I work on the HSE campaign which some would say should be diabolical but it's really not. Suppose it all comes down to how you deal with people, do you let things bother you or take things personally or home with you.

Now I'd probably never ever go to eishtec or tech mahindra.

Come to rigney dolphin.. Most campaigns are 9-5 typical Monday to Friday jobs and every bank holiday paid off! If you're on the HSE anyway

I've been there over a year now and I'm the type of person if I don't like a job I'll leave within two days.

Oh and plenty of unpaid leave aswell as Al if you need it. I took a month off for a holiday in June no problem.

Whatsisname · 17-09-2019 2:02pm

Would agree with the poster above regarding rigney, I worked there and tech mahindra for stints while at college, I was on airtricity customer service full time one summer, wasn't the best but wasn't the worst, then got moved to the blended team (splendid blended) while at college, where i answered calls for bus eireann and post mobile, it was a piece of piss. From what I remember, most of the TL's in Rigney were sound. Tech M was a different story, plenty on power trips, I ended up walking out mid shift from there and never came back. **** that place and back.

Doylers · 17-09-2019 3:17pm

I did rigney and apple. At the end of the day for me call center work is ****. Maybe some people are more adept to it but I found it soul destroying.

Apple was the best by far due to culture and benefits. But spending all day at home is hard going, cabin fever did set in hard.

I'm not a fan of these types of jobs in waterford personally, I'd rather see the likes of redhat expand more.

magick · 17-09-2019 11:05pm

Ah Call Centers, I used to work for AOL back in the day. The most important thing is not to bring your work home with you. You will find the longer you work in a Call Center the more jaded you get and slowly stop caring. When I started working there I was all about helping customers, but theirs only so much verbal abuse you can endure before you don't care anymore. Id say try it for a year, but if you find yourself being in a bad mood after you leave work, then leave the place.

BlueFox90 · 18-09-2019 2:18am

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Same with most business men and women in Waterford. I have yet to meet one person who is successful in this city, be it in terms of property, accountants, hotel owners etc who wasn't a horrendous bully to their staff or an out and out absolutely horrible person. But you would never know when you see their smiling and manicured faces looking out of the newspapers promoting some event or initiative around the city. I grimace inwards as I know the truth behind a lot of them, and the high turnover of staff connected to them also tells a story.

The old adage is sadly true. Nice guys finish last.

To say there are no successful people in the city , that are nice people is absolute rubbish. I have worked for some very decent people in the car industry over 15 years. Some characters yes but some decent people. We don't have begrudge in Waterford

Wanderer2010 · 18-09-2019 4:01pm

BlueFox90 wrote: »

To say there are no successful people in the city , that are nice people is absolute rubbish. I have worked for some very decent people in the car industry over 15 years. Some characters yes but some decent people. We don't have begrudge in Waterford

I havent met anyone who was successful in Waterford yet who WASNT a pure raging bully behind the scenes but sweet as pie and charming to the media or customers. That's how you become a huge success with property or accountants or hotel owners etc, you need to be that much of a cnut to get the job done and not care who you trample on. You would be surprised at what the people behind the faces are really like.

There might be the odd person who is nice and successful but its the minority. And that's not begrudging, its telling the truth.

Call centre work how bad is it?

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