Call center jobs - soul-sucking or an "adventure"?

[elegantlion]

Since I need a temporary job this summer, I'm looking at applying for a call center. I've worked receptionist and admin before, but never a call center. I have no clue what type of clients they take, but it's full time work and I could use the experience for my fiction writing. 

 

So will I wither and rot in 3 1/2 months or would it just be another adventure? 

[Wilma]

I personally would rot.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I depends on what the call-center does.  Collections?  Telemarketing?  Definitely soul-sucking for me.  If it were more of a helping position, then I would be able to do it. 

[plansrme]

I have a client that operates a call center that takes calls for the customers of several utility companies. They take calls for people calling to establish service, pay a bill, etc. There is a high turnover rate, but the client says that is a function of the people they hire (it does not pay well), not that people burn out. Their employees do not do cold calls to sell anything. There is a several-week training program, so I am not sure how up front I would be about only planning to work for a few months.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I've applied before but no one would hire me (even the one that was making calls for the Opera!) because they told me that I was too well spoken and educated and they predicted that I wouldn't stay.  But since I never actually did the job, I can't tell you from that perspective.  

[elegantlion]

Yes, I know this place has high turnover, but they are advertising for positions. I think they are willing to do temporary as they're marketing to students. I don't think they do any outgoing calls, that would be a no for me. 

[nmoira]

Don't sign up if they don't pay for training or ask you to pay.

[Cinder]

I think it depends on your personality. No personal experience, but I knew a couple of people who worked for a bank call center--credit card issues. They seemed to enjoy it for the time but they were very much "people" people and didn't take things personally. As in, most callers were pleasant but then there'd be that *one* who wasn't and they'd have to stay positive and try to help that person even if they just wanted to hang up. For this center there was also a sales aspect--if they could get a caller to say Yes to at least talking to someone else about changing their credit card program they'd get a small bonus--small, like $1 or something. 

 

I don't think either really saw it as soul-sucking but one definitely went into it knowing it was a temporary situation. The other went in hoping to move up into a better-paying position but ended up leaving because he just didn't like some of the tactics employed to separate people from their money--like offering people more credit when they could barely pay their current bill.

 

If you do decide to pursue this work you'll have to come back and let us know if it was soul-sucking or an adventure or both! :D

[Liz CA]

I've applied before but no one would hire me (even the one that was making calls for the Opera!) because they told me that I was too well spoken and educated and they predicted that I wouldn't stay.  But since I never actually did the job, I can't tell you from that perspective.  

 

So it takes someone bumbling around and inarticulate? Well, then you need not apply, elegantlion.

 

As far as your question goes, I agree with "Dirty Ethel" that it would depend on the nature of the business. But I am not sure I could last 3 months if you have to make call after call trying to peddle something nobody wants. This is written by a person who is not a "salesman or woman."

[zoobie]

I've done incoming calls for a phone company customer service line. They had a call center in my college town. High turnover, crap pay, but that was pretty much par for the course. I couldn't do outgoing telemarketing. It paid more and had bonuses, but no way. I was perfectly happy explaining call waiting to little old ladies. We did have a pervert who called frequently. He said that he had a hearing problem and needed us to whisper. That broke up a monotonous shift.

[elegantlion]

Don't sign up if they don't pay for training or ask you to pay.

 

I don't think you do. They're interviewing on the spot next week and start date is listed as 5/5. 

 

 

So if I wear my college t-shirt and slouch during the interview, maybe I'll get the job?  ;)

 

 

Maybe this week more jobs will get listed, but right now it's either 15 hrs a week at another job (which won't pay the bills this summer) or this. 

 

This could be interesting...not sure if it's in a good way...

[shawthorne44]

I've done that sort of thing.  Boring, but not soul-sucking.  I worked in one place that I called the sweat shop, although we had air conditioning.  We sat in rows of folding tables.  you had a computer and a headset and you had no control over the calls.  They just came to you.  I once fell asleep sitting up.  Note, to sleep on an airplane I have to take a double-dose of Ambien to get 3 hours of sleep.  But, my friend neighbor elbowed me asking if I was "on strike".  She watched me completely not respond to three calls.  

 

I did that when I was in college, so i had plenty of mental stimulation elsewhere.  Being on auto-pilot was nice.  

[Lolly]

My brother stuck to one of those jobs for about 2 years. He was an oddity, but he needed the job. It was somewhat soul sucking, but it paid the bills. The company tended to try to get the employees to quit. Big company, ATT. They expected/required him to do things that were basically stealing the money from old people's pockets. He dropped them as soon as he could find a job that paid as well (which was basically the minimum he could live on). So, while it may be soulsucking, it can accomplish the task of keeping food on the table (or the woman in school). Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. I'd say give it a try; it isn't like you are required to stay if it sucks too much of your soul.

[elegantlion]

  

 

I did that when I was in college, so i had plenty of mental stimulation elsewhere.  Being on auto-pilot was nice.  

 

Auto-pilot would be good. As much as I like moving around while working, I'm having some stamina issues from a long-term health issue and sitting while working wouldn't be much different than I do now. 

[joannqn]

I worked for an HMO call center in my early 20s.  We were required to take 50 calls and complete all documentation and paperwork going to other departments for those calls each day.  It wasn't difficult work.  I'm a people person.  On the rare occasion that I had an irate person, I was able to turn them around even if I couldn't give them what they wanted (ie. the procedure still wasn't covered by their policy).  

My biggest complaint about the job was that I had zero authority.  Anything that should have been different had to be escalated to someone else to make that change.  My only authority was to explain benefits, flag an improperly denied claim for reprocessing, or sending the call to another department or a "supervisor."  I left because of office politics involving one very insecure, victim-mentality coworker.

[umsami]

Do you want to use the job for a story line?

 

If not, is there something else that pays similar but might offer other benefits? Like working at Target and getting a discount or something.

[Aiden]

If you need a job and it will pay the bills, and especiallly if it's temporary anyway, give it a try. Only if it's not something you object to, though--I'd never do cold calls, and I don't believe the debt is a good thing, so I couldn't work for a credit card company. As you said, it could provide great inspiration for fiction writing!

[laughing lioness]

I have 2 friends middle age working for call centers right now. It's rigged so that if you are "out of compliance" you can lose money, your bonus, and get reprimanded. Compliance means you have to take a break when they say. But if you are on a call, you can't hang up. If a call rings on your break and you don't answer it you can get written up. ONe friend lost  a several hundred dollar bonus for being out of compliance - it's no win. They have both worked there for over a year- the money is good enough, but they both hate it. 

[Aiden]

I have 2 friends middle age working for call centers right now. It's rigged so that if you are "out of compliance" you can lose money, your bonus, and get reprimanded. Compliance means you have to take a break when they say. But if you are on a call, you can't hang up. If a call rings on your break and you don't answer it you can get written up. ONe friend lost  a several hundred dollar bonus for being out of compliance - it's no win. They have both worked there for over a year- the money is good enough, but they both hate it. 

 

It really does depend on the company--obviously the company your friends are working for is awful, and I'd quit ASAP. In fact, I'd investigate whether those no-win rules are even legal. But I also have a friend who has worked for the call center of my credit union for years, and she's very happy with her employers and her job. As an added bonus--every time I've called them, every representative I've ever spoken with has been friendly, polite, helpful, and has at least seemed happy to talk to me (which is more than I can say for other companies' call centers!).

 

To the OP, if the call center happens to be one for USAA, go for it. Everything about them (that I'm aware of) is excellent.

[Catwoman]

I think it's weird that they didn't say what company you'd be working for, nor what kind of work you'd be doing.

[elegantlion]

I think it's weird that they didn't say what company you'd be working for, nor what kind of work you'd be doing.

 

Well I haven't applied yet. I know the company itself is a call center and takes multiple clients, they are not specific to one industry as far as I know. 

 

A few years ago I know they took calls for state tourist guides, not sure if they still do. 

 

I'll find out more when/if I apply. 

[Arcadia]

I depends on what the call-center does. Collections? Telemarketing? Definitely soul-sucking for me. If it were more of a helping position, then I would be able to do it.

I agree.

 

I did call center work for technical support while in university and it pays very well and is very fast paced. Also for tech call centers, there can be a promotion path to either call center manager or escalation engineer.

I can't do telemarketing. I won't survive a day.

[Catwoman]

Well I haven't applied yet. I know the company itself is a call center and takes multiple clients, they are not specific to one industry as far as I know. 

 

A few years ago I know they took calls for state tourist guides, not sure if they still do. 

 

I'll find out more when/if I apply.

 

They won't tell you if you call and ask?

[elegantlion]

They won't tell you if you call and ask?

 

Probably, and I'll snoop around online about them before I apply, but I'd rather ask questions in person. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

I only lasted 2 days at a call-center that did outbound calls.  One of the worst job experiences ever.  I did great and loved my job working for an inbound call center.  We set appointments for HVAC and Plumbing service. I did quit because the HVAC techs were "cheating" the older people by getting them to buy all new systems that they didn't need.  They had a quota and it was Florida, so easy pickings.  I didn't mind the complaints (about service/system/length of time until repair) after all, not MY fault.  I did really well with the customers, it was my fellow employees I couldn't deal with.

[laughing lioness]

It really does depend on the company--obviously the company your friends are working for is awful, and I'd quit ASAP. In fact, I'd investigate whether those no-win rules are even legal. But I also have a friend who has worked for the call center of my credit union for years, and she's very happy with her employers and her job. As an added bonus--every time I've called them, every representative I've ever spoken with has been friendly, polite, helpful, and has at least seemed happy to talk to me (which is more than I can say for other companies' call centers!).

 

To the OP, if the call center happens to be one for USAA, go for it. Everything about them (that I'm aware of) is excellent.

 

USAA rocks.

[Reefgazer]

In college, I worked for a survey company for a few years.  It was a nice company to work for and I loved chatting to people, LOL!  But I would hate selling anything and wouldn't last 5 minutes if the job was sales.

[mumto2]

I happened to watch about 10 minutes of a tv show on call renters yesterday while folding laundry.  Learned a few interesting to me tidbits that might be helpful.  A man who has managed call centers for 20+ years was being interviewed,  I only got the "take complaints" type of center but the main idea is that for efficiency the large somewhat soulless call centers with endless rows of phones are being replaced with groupings of 30 or so.  The 30 are a bit of a lateral tree where because they can actually see each other and are able to pass calls to the person knowledgeable with that type of problem. He spoke of higher job satisfaction because can actually be part of solving customers problems.

 

No idea if this will be the slightest bit helpful but thought I would mention it.

[elegantlion]

This is all very helpful, thank you. I'm absorbing it all. 

[poppy]

Many years ago I did surveys and market research. It's tedious but fine.

That same time frame, I tried sales a few times, I didn't last, it was really dreadful. 

I've never done help desk, I hear that is fast paced and more interesting.

 

[Barbara H]

I would really hate to do something like insurance or collections, but I did surveys and fundraising in college and I found it to be just fine. I guess it depends on what you are comparing it to. It seemed like a breeze after being a maid. Nothing smelled bad and my feet didn't hurt... can we really hope for more than that in a college job. ;-)

 

[elegantlion]

I would really hate to do something like insurance or collections, but I did surveys and fundraising in college and I found it to be just fine. I guess it depends on what you are comparing it to. It seemed like a breeze after being a maid. Nothing smelled bad and my feet didn't hurt... can we really hope for more than that in a college job. ;-)

 

Yeah, I lasted 2 weeks as a maid due to respiratory issues. 

 

 

Part of the issue is I'm a single parent who will be 47 next month. My stamina and willingness to put up with stuff went downhill after 42. I can suck it up enough to provide for ds and pay the bills, but I'm not 18 or 25 or 30. 

[vonfirmath]

Since I need a temporary job this summer, I'm looking at applying for a call center. I've worked receptionist and admin before, but never a call center. I have no clue what type of clients they take, but it's full time work and I could use the experience for my fiction writing. 

 

So will I wither and rot in 3 1/2 months or would it just be another adventure? 

 

I worked telephone surveying for a year in college (perfect because I could tell them how many hours I was available week to week) and full time for several months when I first moved to WAshington.

 

It wasn't soul-sucking. But I'm also glad I moved on to receptionist and admin. I KNEW at the time, I wouldn't be answering those questions if someone called me so I felt like a hypocrite calling people. But I needed to keep food on my plate and such and it was better than no job at all.

[Hoot]

Soul sucking. I did it one summer and it was awful.

[Dancer_Mom]

Soul sucking for me.  I needed a temporary position while my husband finished his last semester of school.  I said I only wanted to do inbound - no sales!  In my interview they said I would be doing inbound only calls but I would need to be able to answer questions about different features of the credit card.  Sounded great - right?!

 

Translation:  People activating their new credit cards were patched onto us so that we could try to push them into buying features for their credit cards... trip insurance, identity theft protection and on and on - there were like 15-20 things we could sell them that tacked on extra monthly fees to their account.

 

I needed the job so I stayed through training and the trial period but burned out fast once I found out that the only people that bought the extra features seemed to be really old people that didn't seem to understand... I would read them the agreement that they had to say "yes" to so that it was legal but I always felt like they didn't really get it.  So it partly felt dishonest (not all the sales felt that way but I personally hate pushy sales people so I couldn't handle being one). I left and did substitute teaching which paid 1/2 as much but I felt better about myself.

 

So FIND OUT what they are really hiring for.
 

[Catwoman]

Probably, and I'll snoop around online about them before I apply, but I'd rather ask questions in person.

I would be too nosy to wait until the meeting! I'd also want to make sure it was a reputable company and that the job might interest me before I wasted my time meeting them in person.

[Scarlett]

I would not want to do any selling or product pushing. If it is solving problems for people I would like it.

[Barbara H]

 

Part of the issue is I'm a single parent who will be 47 next month. My stamina and willingness to put up with stuff went downhill after 42. I can suck it up enough to provide for ds and pay the bills, but I'm not 18 or 25 or 30. 

 

That makes sense. The job is at least not physically demanding which so many entry level jobs are. The bigger question will probably be the emotional piece - and that's where it will make a big difference if it is something horrible like collections or something more tolerable like a help desk job. Also, I think it gets to some people more than others if people are rude (and it is inevitable on the phone that a lot of people will be). If there is some element of feeling like by being polite you made someone's day less horrible than it would have been if you were rude, there can be some satisfaction for that. Some call center jobs are better set up for that than others.

[Susan in TN]

Yes, I know this place has high turnover, but they are advertising for positions. I think they are willing to do temporary as they're marketing to students. I don't think they do any outgoing calls, that would be a no for me.

For 3 1/2 months you could survive it. 15 years ago I worked for a marketing research company that did customer service satisfaction surveys - only outgoing calls. I think it's likely that that job is one reason I get nauseous at the thought of having to call anyone but dh on the phone.

 

I suspect that taking incoming calls would be better.

[Catwoman]

I think it's worth a try, as long as you're sure the company is reputable and is good about paying you on time. If you hate it, you can quit, but it might turn out to be relatively easy money that you can earn from home.

 

As long as you're OK with the kinds of things you'll have to say and are sure that the company is decent, I don't see why you shouldn't take a shot at it. :)

[elegantlion]

I would be too nosy to wait until the meeting! I'd also want to make sure it was a reputable company and that the job might interest me before I wasted my time meeting them in person.

 

 

Yes, they're reputable. They've been around for a long time. I see their office every time I go to town (not my town - my college town), their headquarters are just south of us too. I'll have to work at their building, it's not at home work. So they've had a physical presence around for several years, it's not an online type of thing - which I would scrutinize more. 

 

But it's still call center work, high turnover, probably little authority and little say in how I could do the job. 

[Annie]

I worked in an inbound call center for three years in college. I mostly took auto insurance claims after hours, but the center had many different clients. Many calls were taking messages and paging doctors after hours. We answered for a health savings account management company. It was painful at times. I talked with a lot of really annoying people. I got swore at and called names on occasion (but I got to hang up on those people). There were several times I was supposed to be training someone new, but they left on their first break and never came back. :-P It really wasn't so bad though. The core group of stable employees was really fun, so that helped.

[sassenach]

I feel like I could hang as long as I didn't have to cold call. It's no one's dream job, but for the summer? Sure.

[jmama]

Soul sucking for sure.  But, I could probably survive it for 3 months.

[Only me]

My husband and I met working for a call center. We took inbound calls (credit card authorization and phone operator mainly) it was easy and boring ( except for meeting my future husband).

[TrixieB]

Years ago, I worked next to a call center and I knew folks there who LOVED their jobs.  They did customer service, answering questions from existing customers. 

 

Our department's staff handled call center customer service and document processing (different product line from the one I mentioned above), and our daily time was divided roughly 25% calls & 75% documents.  That was fine with me.  Most of the calls were routine, and few of the customers were disgruntled.  Any problems that arose were usually fairly easy to solve.

 

I would not want to be a telemarketer or do phone surveys.
 

[JuanitaL]

Well I haven't applied yet. I know the company itself is a call center and takes multiple clients, they are not specific to one industry as far as I know. 

 

A few years ago I know they took calls for state tourist guides, not sure if they still do. 

 

I'll find out more when/if I apply. 

 

The call centers that are local to me may have contracts with multiple companies - so different groups of employees may be handling entirely different types of calls.