Okay, so you are the type of person who likes order in your life. I can respect that. I too like things to be in there place. You know, when you go into the medicine cabinet at 2 am in the dark you want to make sure you are opening the asprin bottle and not prenatal vitamin kinda thing.
Oh, you say you have to have you manuals on the right side of the desk. Okay, I can even follow that. I have my drawers seperated out so i know which drawer to go to for just about anything.
Lists, right. those are those things such as grocery lists. Yep, i totally get where you are coming from with that too. Who has a budget? Well, i think most everyone right?! You say without that list, you forget toothpaste and come home with a zillion things you don't need such as that third bag of cheetoes....yep i sooooo totally understand.
Now, can i get you to step out of your Martha Stewart model home for a couple of minutes and spend a few minutes in a "day in the life of a employee in a call center" for just oh let's say an hour. Can you take a deep breath (i just did) and clothes your eyes. Okay now, you are in at a work desk in the middle of a floor about the size of a good size skating rink. You have a computer in front of you and you have your "to do" list all made out. You are going to get those 10 things done absolutely no problem right. Your 46 years old for god sakes and have been doing this for many years. How hard can it be......you got everything you need to get the job done right. You have your calendar open, nope no meetings for 3 hours. Nothing going on that would be considered emergency. Nothing that has you going "Houston, we have a problem".
Oh, wait back up. Let me explain that it is 7 am and no one is in yet. Oh, yeah you also haven't opened your email yet. "Click" you open your Outlook and "shit" comes to mind. That's right you have 85 plus emails. Aren't you glad you set up folders so those really important emails go to subfolders you can decide which ones to actually look at. Yeppers you start going through them and the next thing you know you have now spent 35 minutes of your morning getting an idea of the "fires" that have been brewing since you logged off yesterday. "oh joy".......Okay now that you have added them to your "to do" list you move on to why you came in 2 hours early.....let's listen to some calls. Oh wait, you pull up the program and it has nothing but busy signals going off on each recorded calls......no reps yet to do live calls. Okay, shuffle that to the back of the list. Now you send of an email to those important people asking for assistance and move on to your next item. Just as you start that (you are so in the zone) "hi Deb" and you damn near break your leg on the underside of your desk as a member of another department "sneeks" up behind you and talks to you. Now, you know they are being nice but come on people can you not see that the poor woman was so zoned that you almost gave her a heart attack. Have some compassion and just ignore the slave at the desk until she comes up for air....
So, you have now gotten to the 3rd item on your list....what have you gotten done again? Oh right...........that would be.....yep you have your computer up and running.
Okay, now let's work on those agent reviews. So, you go to the right drive, right folder and open an excel driven document and start to fill it in and it keeps giving you errors. What would you normally do? Okay, let's try help....you look it up and low and behold your doing what it tells you to do because your just that smart right?! The little woman on your right shoulder says why don't you put a ticket in and move on. Nope, your going to get this fixed. So, you send off a couple of emails to your "contacts" and think you will get a response. "hey moron, it's not even 8 am yet they aren't in the office" says the little women on your other shoulder.
Okay, move that down the list. Reset passwords, okay you can send a couple more emails. Now let's look over the agent reports and see what needs to be fixed, do attendance and check payroll. So, you go to pull up the agent reports and everything shows zero's. So, you get out of the application and log back in. Still zero's. You really thought it was going to change didn't you. Hahaha. Fate is laughing at your. Remember when you asked for this......the old adage that says becareful what you ask for is really coming back to bite you this morning.
Okay move on......it is now 830 in the morning and some other coaches are coming in and the boss is now here and starts asking questions and aim them to you etc. So far the whole orderly, list thing hasn't helped you accomplish much of anything. So now you spend the next 30 minutes or so going over previous days results with the boss. Now, you say that most days it's no big deal.....well do you know the definition of a proctologist? It can be a real joy at times (hahaha).
Okay, now the reps have arrived and for anyone with children you are really going to understand the next little bit so just hang in there with me while i go through it.....hey, can i can't get it to my computer.....can you put my pto in....can you fix my coffee....can you come here a minute....my phone isn't working...hey, Deb you gotta minute.....(In my head that little sarcastic women is about to open her mouth and have to pay .25) Nope, no minutes to spare, only two hands and what isn't your computer doing? What message did it give you? How much pto do you need and on what day. I need your information to fix coffee and can't get into what in your computer?
Hey Deb, boss wants you...okay everyone...as my neice likes to say, I am going to do all of this with a smile.....kinda.....breath you only have about 8 1/2 hours left to go and still haven't gotten anything you came in 2 hours early to do..........welcome to call centers hope you enjoy the service.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
The Friday Payday Flu
How many of you work in a job where your ability to meet goals and expectations depend on your team mate being at work?
In call centers, our lively hood depends on the people that are hired to handle the duties that need to be done. Whether it is making calls, doing interviews, listening to calls, or just helping to manage departments.
So what happens when the Friday flu or the Friday Payday flu hits? How do you manage to metrics and goals when people who have "sick time" come to you at noon and say "i'm sick and going to leave" wink wink nod nod. Now, by rules and regulations you can't make them stay because they are sick. And now that the weather is getting warmer here in the midwest, no one wants to stay at the job any later than they have to.
I wonder what rep B would say if when their power goes out and it's in the middle of the super bowl so now they can't watch the game and they call up Cilco to find out what's going on and get the message "We can't take your call right now because we have the Friday flu" wink wink nod nod.
But bet when that rep opens that check and it's missing 25 minutes of time, they will be at your office wanting to know "what up with my check" What up with your check is you don't work...........oh wait, you worked 10 hours in an 80 hour week between your sick time, call offs, and giving away your hours to others.
if you don't want to have a serious paying job, and want to take time off.....any employer will accomodate that wish. Now, go out and get another one that will keep you employeed for just those 10 hours..........when you find it let me know.
In this day and age of the "me" mentality, it's about what I gotta do cause i just got paid. Psst........it spends on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and every other day of the week too. You don't have to spend it all in one place. Guess what, if you have direct deposit most money institutions have this nifty thing called bill pay. You can have all your bills set up and paid electronically so you don't have to worry about those pesky things.
Rep A, i know you earned the sick time and you should be able to use it any way you want to. Yep, I get it. Your sick......but's rather funny that you seem to get this stomach ache every other friday. Maybe you should change what you have for lunch on those days? Maybe bring your lunch so you don't have to worry about getting bad take out food and leave all your team mates trying to handle their work and yours too.
Rep A and Rep B......guess you don't care that your Friday flu/Friday Payday flu could actually end up costing 50+ people their jobs because ya know..........got more important things to do than handle my business that i agreed to do when i excepted this job. Right.....
In call centers, our lively hood depends on the people that are hired to handle the duties that need to be done. Whether it is making calls, doing interviews, listening to calls, or just helping to manage departments.
So what happens when the Friday flu or the Friday Payday flu hits? How do you manage to metrics and goals when people who have "sick time" come to you at noon and say "i'm sick and going to leave" wink wink nod nod. Now, by rules and regulations you can't make them stay because they are sick. And now that the weather is getting warmer here in the midwest, no one wants to stay at the job any later than they have to.
I wonder what rep B would say if when their power goes out and it's in the middle of the super bowl so now they can't watch the game and they call up Cilco to find out what's going on and get the message "We can't take your call right now because we have the Friday flu" wink wink nod nod.
But bet when that rep opens that check and it's missing 25 minutes of time, they will be at your office wanting to know "what up with my check" What up with your check is you don't work...........oh wait, you worked 10 hours in an 80 hour week between your sick time, call offs, and giving away your hours to others.
if you don't want to have a serious paying job, and want to take time off.....any employer will accomodate that wish. Now, go out and get another one that will keep you employeed for just those 10 hours..........when you find it let me know.
In this day and age of the "me" mentality, it's about what I gotta do cause i just got paid. Psst........it spends on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and every other day of the week too. You don't have to spend it all in one place. Guess what, if you have direct deposit most money institutions have this nifty thing called bill pay. You can have all your bills set up and paid electronically so you don't have to worry about those pesky things.
Rep A, i know you earned the sick time and you should be able to use it any way you want to. Yep, I get it. Your sick......but's rather funny that you seem to get this stomach ache every other friday. Maybe you should change what you have for lunch on those days? Maybe bring your lunch so you don't have to worry about getting bad take out food and leave all your team mates trying to handle their work and yours too.
Rep A and Rep B......guess you don't care that your Friday flu/Friday Payday flu could actually end up costing 50+ people their jobs because ya know..........got more important things to do than handle my business that i agreed to do when i excepted this job. Right.....
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
There's a dress code here?
Have you ever worked where you had to wear a uniform? How about a specific color on certain days? Most call centers have some kind of business casual dress. The reason for this is varied by organization and can change as often as the upper management changes.
Normally, the organization is good about giving some kind of notice when the dress code is going to change or if there is a specific time when it needs to be adjusted.
About 2 to 3 years ago, the center I work in went to what is referred to as "casual" dress.
Now this doesn't mean that there aren't things you can wear to work. Yes, there are still rules and regulations that have to follow just as anyone who works in an H.R. department.
Since you are going to a business establishment for the next 8 plus hours, your close should fit you. This means that they should not be so tight that you have to have your belt undone, the top 3 buttons undone and your shirt hanging over the top in the vain attempt to hide the before mentioned facts. It also doesn't mean that you can wear the same spaghetti string top that refuses to stay up and cover what god gave you. While some may like the view, there are others that don't. Again, did i mention this is a business and not the nearest club.
What about lounge wear? Well, when my P.J's are the same pattern and the same color....the answer is "ah NO". As a business, I have purchased ergonomic chairs and set up stations for you to work at comfortably. This isn't your coach and that computer isn't your T.V. We want you to be comfortable however, we pay you to do a job not lay back in your chair and go to sleep.
Tops that you used to be able to fit in 3 sizes ago aren't attractive and should be given to your little sister or even the Goodwill. There are numerous people out there who would gladly take them off your hands. Speaking of Goodwill, if you know you are going to have to dress up for a specific day and don't have any clothes appropriate, they have plenty of options dirt cheap.
I know that life is tough and I know what it is to struggle to make ends meet from pay check to pay check. However, when you have known for 2 weeks that there is a change in the dress code for two specific days out of your life and make no effort to get the necessary clothes needed i have little sympathy for your situation. Why do you wait till the night before and then go to your boss and say i don't have any clothes appropriate for tomorrow i am going to have to call in? That $5.00 you spent on your pack of cigerettes would have gotten you one pair of pants from the Salvation Army or Goodwill. You would be amazed at what they have there...there is one just 10 minutes from my house that gets new stuff from some of the major stores each week and you can get never worn, price tag still on it for the cheap.
Hospitals, Walmart, restaurants and most of every other organization i know has some type of dress code...........why would you think a call center would be any different?
Last question for you all....would you wear a pair of jeans out in public with so much of the ass end out of them you knew enough to put a pair of spandex shorts on under them? Ok, every one follow along no and say N and not in this life time, O for outside of this premise is exceptable only.
Normally, the organization is good about giving some kind of notice when the dress code is going to change or if there is a specific time when it needs to be adjusted.
About 2 to 3 years ago, the center I work in went to what is referred to as "casual" dress.
Now this doesn't mean that there aren't things you can wear to work. Yes, there are still rules and regulations that have to follow just as anyone who works in an H.R. department.
Since you are going to a business establishment for the next 8 plus hours, your close should fit you. This means that they should not be so tight that you have to have your belt undone, the top 3 buttons undone and your shirt hanging over the top in the vain attempt to hide the before mentioned facts. It also doesn't mean that you can wear the same spaghetti string top that refuses to stay up and cover what god gave you. While some may like the view, there are others that don't. Again, did i mention this is a business and not the nearest club.
What about lounge wear? Well, when my P.J's are the same pattern and the same color....the answer is "ah NO". As a business, I have purchased ergonomic chairs and set up stations for you to work at comfortably. This isn't your coach and that computer isn't your T.V. We want you to be comfortable however, we pay you to do a job not lay back in your chair and go to sleep.
Tops that you used to be able to fit in 3 sizes ago aren't attractive and should be given to your little sister or even the Goodwill. There are numerous people out there who would gladly take them off your hands. Speaking of Goodwill, if you know you are going to have to dress up for a specific day and don't have any clothes appropriate, they have plenty of options dirt cheap.
I know that life is tough and I know what it is to struggle to make ends meet from pay check to pay check. However, when you have known for 2 weeks that there is a change in the dress code for two specific days out of your life and make no effort to get the necessary clothes needed i have little sympathy for your situation. Why do you wait till the night before and then go to your boss and say i don't have any clothes appropriate for tomorrow i am going to have to call in? That $5.00 you spent on your pack of cigerettes would have gotten you one pair of pants from the Salvation Army or Goodwill. You would be amazed at what they have there...there is one just 10 minutes from my house that gets new stuff from some of the major stores each week and you can get never worn, price tag still on it for the cheap.
Hospitals, Walmart, restaurants and most of every other organization i know has some type of dress code...........why would you think a call center would be any different?
Last question for you all....would you wear a pair of jeans out in public with so much of the ass end out of them you knew enough to put a pair of spandex shorts on under them? Ok, every one follow along no and say N and not in this life time, O for outside of this premise is exceptable only.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
It's only a half hour difference
For those of us who have worked in call centers for more than 5 minutes realize that your life can change in a matter of someone saying "meeting in conference room" and you see your whole department log off. These meetings can be anything from a change in hours, change in how you perform the daily job, or the department is closing and you will be moving to another department effective tomorrow.
Working call centers isn't for everyone and if you are the type of individual who has to have order and discipline in our life.........you probably ought to find something else.
Scheduling is always a challenge because usually you are not the actual client and you don't always have historical data to determine what is needed on a daily basis. This means you have to make a "educated" guess on what you need to meet the requirements of the department you are running. Now...let's throw in 50 or more reps with lives, families, dogs, children.......you get the picture. Each of us want the ideal position. I get up at "when i want to" get to work "when i feel like it" and work for all of 30 seconds....leave and collect a check for a full days pay and 80 hours. But instead we have someone saying you have to be here AND on the phones by a specific time. Then by god, you have to actually take calls without logging off 5000 times to talk to someone 3 pods over, no smoke breaks for 2 1/2 hours, what are you on drugs......You mean i can't use the bathroom???
We have a program that has EXACTLY two shifts. One is 10:00 to 6:30 and the other is 10:30 to 7:00 pm. Now, most call centers only make allowances for school schedules because we want our employees to continue their educations. On this program our most important days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and everyone was told that Saturdays are mandatory. Now in my world mandatory means EVERYONE has to work it. Can anyone out there give me a different definition where it is okay to say i want that day to be my scheduled day off?
Now, what about "I can't work till 7 pm?" Well, Ms. Rep, when you came in and filled out an application did they tell what you would be doing? Why yes, they did. Okay then how about the hours you had to be available? Yes, the nice lady in HR told me that i had to be available from 1000 till 7 each day except Sunday. Okay, I don't know what the problem is then. Can you help me understand why you could be okay then but not okay now? What has changed in your life that fits our exceptions?? Do you have a school schedule. For the uneducated in call centers, nothing changed other than it is getting to be warmer outside and this rep doesn't want to be cooped up inside that extra 1/2 or their girlfriend who works in another department gets off at that time or a variety of other reasons that you can't make an exception. Then you also get into the "I have seniority over so and so why do they get to get off earlier than me?" Again, I am thinking............come on it's a 30 minute difference. But what comes out of my mouth is: "when you filled out a preference sheet, what did you tell scheduling was more important to you, your start time or your day off". Usually they will say "day off" Well, in the unfair world of call centers, you usually get only 1//2 of what you want if you get that. So, you tell the rep to fill out another form, turn it in and it will be at least two weeks before it MIGHT change.
Now before all you jump on me over the whole "30 minute" thing. Yes, i don't have kids, or a husband, wife or any significant other begging for my time. The only commitment i have is to my dog who is in his crate turning yellow every night why his mom is at the job for 12 plus hours. So, no i can't say "i understand" the child care issues or the husband giving you fits over not being home to take care of your partner duties. It's probably why i don't have any of that...........NOT REALLY. Just ask anyone who really nows me. LOL. However, i can't believe that everyone does everything they can or reach out to all possible avenues for help either.
What happended to networking with family, friends, co-workers or even getting with managment and saying "i want my job and i need help with my responsibilities"
Most people would agree that we spend 30 minutes driving home, chatting on the cell phones, on the computer in facebook...........is that 30 minutes really going to make a difference in the 'BIG" picture of your life????
Working call centers isn't for everyone and if you are the type of individual who has to have order and discipline in our life.........you probably ought to find something else.
Scheduling is always a challenge because usually you are not the actual client and you don't always have historical data to determine what is needed on a daily basis. This means you have to make a "educated" guess on what you need to meet the requirements of the department you are running. Now...let's throw in 50 or more reps with lives, families, dogs, children.......you get the picture. Each of us want the ideal position. I get up at "when i want to" get to work "when i feel like it" and work for all of 30 seconds....leave and collect a check for a full days pay and 80 hours. But instead we have someone saying you have to be here AND on the phones by a specific time. Then by god, you have to actually take calls without logging off 5000 times to talk to someone 3 pods over, no smoke breaks for 2 1/2 hours, what are you on drugs......You mean i can't use the bathroom???
We have a program that has EXACTLY two shifts. One is 10:00 to 6:30 and the other is 10:30 to 7:00 pm. Now, most call centers only make allowances for school schedules because we want our employees to continue their educations. On this program our most important days are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and everyone was told that Saturdays are mandatory. Now in my world mandatory means EVERYONE has to work it. Can anyone out there give me a different definition where it is okay to say i want that day to be my scheduled day off?
Now, what about "I can't work till 7 pm?" Well, Ms. Rep, when you came in and filled out an application did they tell what you would be doing? Why yes, they did. Okay then how about the hours you had to be available? Yes, the nice lady in HR told me that i had to be available from 1000 till 7 each day except Sunday. Okay, I don't know what the problem is then. Can you help me understand why you could be okay then but not okay now? What has changed in your life that fits our exceptions?? Do you have a school schedule. For the uneducated in call centers, nothing changed other than it is getting to be warmer outside and this rep doesn't want to be cooped up inside that extra 1/2 or their girlfriend who works in another department gets off at that time or a variety of other reasons that you can't make an exception. Then you also get into the "I have seniority over so and so why do they get to get off earlier than me?" Again, I am thinking............come on it's a 30 minute difference. But what comes out of my mouth is: "when you filled out a preference sheet, what did you tell scheduling was more important to you, your start time or your day off". Usually they will say "day off" Well, in the unfair world of call centers, you usually get only 1//2 of what you want if you get that. So, you tell the rep to fill out another form, turn it in and it will be at least two weeks before it MIGHT change.
Now before all you jump on me over the whole "30 minute" thing. Yes, i don't have kids, or a husband, wife or any significant other begging for my time. The only commitment i have is to my dog who is in his crate turning yellow every night why his mom is at the job for 12 plus hours. So, no i can't say "i understand" the child care issues or the husband giving you fits over not being home to take care of your partner duties. It's probably why i don't have any of that...........NOT REALLY. Just ask anyone who really nows me. LOL. However, i can't believe that everyone does everything they can or reach out to all possible avenues for help either.
What happended to networking with family, friends, co-workers or even getting with managment and saying "i want my job and i need help with my responsibilities"
Most people would agree that we spend 30 minutes driving home, chatting on the cell phones, on the computer in facebook...........is that 30 minutes really going to make a difference in the 'BIG" picture of your life????
Monday, March 15, 2010
The difference between a call center and high school is.....
Okay, so i am work today and the second group is coming in. I always try and make sure to walk around and say good morning to the different groups and ask about their weekends. I do this for two reasons. First, it gives me an idea of who is there and it allows me to get a feel for how everyone is mentally when they come in to work.
So, I am doing my rounds so to speak when one of the "mature" women calls me over to her desk. She procedes to tell me that someone is sitting in a desk that Minnie always sits in. I start to explain that we don't have assigned sitting when she cuts me off to say exactly that. She then starts whispering that Minnie and these other to girls are feuding over a "she said" vs "she said". As she started to go further into what i am sure she feels is relevant information, i excused myself and explained that unless the whole situation was hindering her ability to make calls the "feuding" would be addressed if and when it happened. "I was just giving you a heads up".
I am now standing at my desk watching the last few people come in right at the 1/2 hour when another "younger" female representatives comes up and states "If you don't keep that hag out of my business i am going to get her". Okay, now that sounded so high school that i just looked at the girl for a minute. "okay, hold on a minute. What person are you talking about and no you aren't going to get her".
Now the representative states to tell me how she just "knows" that this "hag" left this note on her desk with her name and another reps name on it detailing how they weren't doing their job and that if she wasn't such a bitch she would have said something to them face to face.
I made the girl sit down and write down what her complaint was and produce what ever documentation she had against this other rep. I explained the no fighting clause, and that confrontation isn't the way to resolve anything. I asked her to let me investigate the situation and if she wasn't comfortable with that, she was more than welcome totake it to human resources. I also explained that at no time will it be acceptable for her to "confront" anyone else in a less than professional manner.
Does this remind anyone of high school? "Teacher, she called me a bitch." or "Mr. Principle, i did not write that letter".
How is it that you can be in a work environment have them collecting a wage to do specific things but still spend all day dealing with popularity issues, or juvenile items? Some times, it seems the long i work in the call center industry, the more people revert back to younger behaviors.
Does it really matter whether or not suzie likes your shirt? Who cares if Jim's pants aren't covering his shoes all the way. What about Terry and Mark over their whispering together? Bet they are talking about Marcus..............Who cares.
I know that we have to spend 8 hours plus daily together in a similar environment to high school but does that mean that we have to act like we are still in high school? I am beginning to realize the only difference between a call center and high school is our physical age has increased but to some degree our mental age has stayed the same. Isn't that a sad commentary on our life skills..................
So, I am doing my rounds so to speak when one of the "mature" women calls me over to her desk. She procedes to tell me that someone is sitting in a desk that Minnie always sits in. I start to explain that we don't have assigned sitting when she cuts me off to say exactly that. She then starts whispering that Minnie and these other to girls are feuding over a "she said" vs "she said". As she started to go further into what i am sure she feels is relevant information, i excused myself and explained that unless the whole situation was hindering her ability to make calls the "feuding" would be addressed if and when it happened. "I was just giving you a heads up".
I am now standing at my desk watching the last few people come in right at the 1/2 hour when another "younger" female representatives comes up and states "If you don't keep that hag out of my business i am going to get her". Okay, now that sounded so high school that i just looked at the girl for a minute. "okay, hold on a minute. What person are you talking about and no you aren't going to get her".
Now the representative states to tell me how she just "knows" that this "hag" left this note on her desk with her name and another reps name on it detailing how they weren't doing their job and that if she wasn't such a bitch she would have said something to them face to face.
I made the girl sit down and write down what her complaint was and produce what ever documentation she had against this other rep. I explained the no fighting clause, and that confrontation isn't the way to resolve anything. I asked her to let me investigate the situation and if she wasn't comfortable with that, she was more than welcome totake it to human resources. I also explained that at no time will it be acceptable for her to "confront" anyone else in a less than professional manner.
Does this remind anyone of high school? "Teacher, she called me a bitch." or "Mr. Principle, i did not write that letter".
How is it that you can be in a work environment have them collecting a wage to do specific things but still spend all day dealing with popularity issues, or juvenile items? Some times, it seems the long i work in the call center industry, the more people revert back to younger behaviors.
Does it really matter whether or not suzie likes your shirt? Who cares if Jim's pants aren't covering his shoes all the way. What about Terry and Mark over their whispering together? Bet they are talking about Marcus..............Who cares.
I know that we have to spend 8 hours plus daily together in a similar environment to high school but does that mean that we have to act like we are still in high school? I am beginning to realize the only difference between a call center and high school is our physical age has increased but to some degree our mental age has stayed the same. Isn't that a sad commentary on our life skills..................
Saturday, March 13, 2010
A Phone isn't a license to..........
In this day and age where cell phones are becoming more prevelant in our every day lives there are still people with home phones who should have a license to use them. It seems like when people get on a phone and don't get their way because the customer isn't always right they lose their minds, religion, social graces or whatever you want to call them.
Working in a call center and taking calls from customers regarding bills, equipment and even directory assistance has given me so many examples of why there are problems in this world. Really.
Case in point number 1: It was about 3 am and a call comes in when i was handling directory assistance. "What city, what listing" "Yeah, can you tell me where i am" "Sir, did you need a specific name or city?" "Ah,yeah, can you tell me where I am?" "Sir, not sure i am following you. What do you mean where are you?" "Yeah, I am outside a motel and need to know where i am" "Is the office open?" "Yes" "Sir, go to the office and ask them where you are located at." "ok" click. Really........you call directory assistance for a telephone number people.
Case in point number 2: A gentleman (i use the term loosely)calls into our customer service center and is upset because his services are not working yet. In reviewing his account, he has an order pending for phone service but it isn't due to be completed until 3 days later. Also, it appears that there were issues with the order from the beginning and his services really should have been up and running a day ago. Ok, so we all can understand someone being upset that their order got messed up and we are all human beings and come to some kind of compromise right?! Ah, no. Being ex Army, i have heard my curse words and have even used some myself including in two languages. But a phone doesn't give ANYONE the license to make it personal and threaten someone, their family and their lively hood. And, I am sorry but when you start screaming so loud you no longer can be heard and drop the "C" word. I have removed the headset and allowed you to throw your temper tandrum to dead air. Really......
Case in point numbr 3: I get a manager call for a lady in Virginia. When i call her back, she sounds like my grandmother. She wants to talk to a manager about this one call that appears on her bill every month and is costing her .12 cents. All the previous representatives have explained that they have called the number and it belongs to her granddaughter and it is her cell phone. As i am reviewing these findings with her, she says "I know all that i am old not stupid" Naturally, that gave me pause for a minute. I said "no ma'am" and again attempted to explain why she is being charged for the call and offering alternative options to avoid the charge. She proceeds to explain that she is old, on a fixed income and she doesn't have a cell phone and can't afford .12 every time she calls her granddaughter and I have to remove the charges. While I personally feel for her and if it were my money, i would just give her the blasted .12 and be done with it. However, there is no company fault, the customer is billed correctly and no credit is due. In explaining this to her, she loudly (i assume she thought i was deaf)shouts into the phone "bitch" and hangs up.
Case in point number 4: Now, i had been working directory assistance for about 3 months and had recently lost my mom to a long illness. A gentlemen called in wanting a number for a hospital in New York City. Now, Directory assistance doesn't have ever number because to do so they would need a computer the size of the plant to house them. Plus, companies and individuals have to agree to have their information listed......think people think. You also have to know how to spell what you are requesting AND how it is listed. We individuals who work in call centers don't go to work every day thinking of new and varied ways to screw with people but some people think so. As i was saying about the guy looking for the hospital....his mother was there and not expected to make it through the night. I tried multiple ways of looking up the hospital and even offered the local police number as a last resort thinking that they might have some information. After explaining i was sorry but unable to locate the information for him multiple times, he said "i hope your mother lays dying in a hospital and you can't get their in time to say good by. Fuck you" and proceeded to hang up. How could this "gentleman" know that my mother did die in a hospital far away from me and i wasn't there to say good by......really...people should have a license to use a phone.
Working in a call center and taking calls from customers regarding bills, equipment and even directory assistance has given me so many examples of why there are problems in this world. Really.
Case in point number 1: It was about 3 am and a call comes in when i was handling directory assistance. "What city, what listing" "Yeah, can you tell me where i am" "Sir, did you need a specific name or city?" "Ah,yeah, can you tell me where I am?" "Sir, not sure i am following you. What do you mean where are you?" "Yeah, I am outside a motel and need to know where i am" "Is the office open?" "Yes" "Sir, go to the office and ask them where you are located at." "ok" click. Really........you call directory assistance for a telephone number people.
Case in point number 2: A gentleman (i use the term loosely)calls into our customer service center and is upset because his services are not working yet. In reviewing his account, he has an order pending for phone service but it isn't due to be completed until 3 days later. Also, it appears that there were issues with the order from the beginning and his services really should have been up and running a day ago. Ok, so we all can understand someone being upset that their order got messed up and we are all human beings and come to some kind of compromise right?! Ah, no. Being ex Army, i have heard my curse words and have even used some myself including in two languages. But a phone doesn't give ANYONE the license to make it personal and threaten someone, their family and their lively hood. And, I am sorry but when you start screaming so loud you no longer can be heard and drop the "C" word. I have removed the headset and allowed you to throw your temper tandrum to dead air. Really......
Case in point numbr 3: I get a manager call for a lady in Virginia. When i call her back, she sounds like my grandmother. She wants to talk to a manager about this one call that appears on her bill every month and is costing her .12 cents. All the previous representatives have explained that they have called the number and it belongs to her granddaughter and it is her cell phone. As i am reviewing these findings with her, she says "I know all that i am old not stupid" Naturally, that gave me pause for a minute. I said "no ma'am" and again attempted to explain why she is being charged for the call and offering alternative options to avoid the charge. She proceeds to explain that she is old, on a fixed income and she doesn't have a cell phone and can't afford .12 every time she calls her granddaughter and I have to remove the charges. While I personally feel for her and if it were my money, i would just give her the blasted .12 and be done with it. However, there is no company fault, the customer is billed correctly and no credit is due. In explaining this to her, she loudly (i assume she thought i was deaf)shouts into the phone "bitch" and hangs up.
Case in point number 4: Now, i had been working directory assistance for about 3 months and had recently lost my mom to a long illness. A gentlemen called in wanting a number for a hospital in New York City. Now, Directory assistance doesn't have ever number because to do so they would need a computer the size of the plant to house them. Plus, companies and individuals have to agree to have their information listed......think people think. You also have to know how to spell what you are requesting AND how it is listed. We individuals who work in call centers don't go to work every day thinking of new and varied ways to screw with people but some people think so. As i was saying about the guy looking for the hospital....his mother was there and not expected to make it through the night. I tried multiple ways of looking up the hospital and even offered the local police number as a last resort thinking that they might have some information. After explaining i was sorry but unable to locate the information for him multiple times, he said "i hope your mother lays dying in a hospital and you can't get their in time to say good by. Fuck you" and proceeded to hang up. How could this "gentleman" know that my mother did die in a hospital far away from me and i wasn't there to say good by......really...people should have a license to use a phone.
Can I talk to you?
I have learned that when someone walks up to you and asks this question and you work in a call center, you really don't know what is going to happen. There is such a wide variety of individuals that work in them that it could mean anything from a scheduling issue to something serious.
I went into work the other day, and one of my reps came up and asked "can i talk to you?" Now I already had one person sitting at my desk and was in a coaching session with them and I am thinking to myself "ah no, I am busy" but what comes out of my mouth is "give me just a couple of minutes and I will come get you".
Now most people would take this to mean that the "come get them" piece means go back to your desk and I will come get you. Nope, not in this world. In this world it meant that this rep was going to stand there listening to my coaching session with someone else. They were making loud sighing noices and generally making it extremely difficult to ignore them. I quickly finished up the session with the other person i had at my desk and then addressed the "impatient" rep at my desk.
When asked how i could help them, I was astounded to learn that it was about another representative on the floor who was playing with a balloon in a loud fashion and was in this person's mind going to cause the whole group to lose out on balloons as rewards for meeting specific goals through out the day. Now.....in my head I am thinking "are you fricking kidding me?" What i really do is explain to the rep that no one is going to miss out on balloons and if she is being disturbed by someone playing with their balloon i will speak with the other representative. She was "pacified" and went back to her desk. Now, I am 46 years old and don't have any kids and love my neices and nephews beyond measure. But, seriously are you FRICKIN kidding me. You have someone who is over 21, and is more concerned about a balloon then the fact that she was rude to a fellow employee by standing over our coaching session and listening to what should be private.
Now i have had some serious discussions with my employees from their health issues, to abuse and it just brings home that these people have lives outside of the four walls that they spend 8 plus hours in 5 days a week.
But really, a balloon.......................
I went into work the other day, and one of my reps came up and asked "can i talk to you?" Now I already had one person sitting at my desk and was in a coaching session with them and I am thinking to myself "ah no, I am busy" but what comes out of my mouth is "give me just a couple of minutes and I will come get you".
Now most people would take this to mean that the "come get them" piece means go back to your desk and I will come get you. Nope, not in this world. In this world it meant that this rep was going to stand there listening to my coaching session with someone else. They were making loud sighing noices and generally making it extremely difficult to ignore them. I quickly finished up the session with the other person i had at my desk and then addressed the "impatient" rep at my desk.
When asked how i could help them, I was astounded to learn that it was about another representative on the floor who was playing with a balloon in a loud fashion and was in this person's mind going to cause the whole group to lose out on balloons as rewards for meeting specific goals through out the day. Now.....in my head I am thinking "are you fricking kidding me?" What i really do is explain to the rep that no one is going to miss out on balloons and if she is being disturbed by someone playing with their balloon i will speak with the other representative. She was "pacified" and went back to her desk. Now, I am 46 years old and don't have any kids and love my neices and nephews beyond measure. But, seriously are you FRICKIN kidding me. You have someone who is over 21, and is more concerned about a balloon then the fact that she was rude to a fellow employee by standing over our coaching session and listening to what should be private.
Now i have had some serious discussions with my employees from their health issues, to abuse and it just brings home that these people have lives outside of the four walls that they spend 8 plus hours in 5 days a week.
But really, a balloon.......................
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