Emotional labour, emotional dissonance at work in customer service jobs
- Thread starter J Ed
- Start date
el-ahrairah
forward communism, forward gerbils!
fucking amen.
Yep. Hey everyone - you know how you keep phoning BigCuntsCorp about the mistakes they make and they keep getting made? See the above
I had a stint of 18months on a section of the PO helpdesk dealing with calls from the office staff but if we got any crap from the callers because they didn't like or agree with what we were telling them then we could end the call and inform the caller that there attitude and manner would be reported. We were still monitored on the number of calls dealt with and had to log all activities, admin, call handling, breaks, toilet breaks etc. via a specific code on the phone handset. I couldn't wait to move on from that job.
Onket
Je suis [CONTENT REMOVED]
I had similar in a previous job that wasn't an auto-dialler but if calls were waiting they'd drop straight in as soon as the previous call was finished. I ended up keeping people waiting and saying things like "Let me just make a note of that on the system....." or "Let me just check something while you're on the line...." which sometimes ended up with callers getting pissed off for being kept on the line and me getting bollocked for my call length being too long! Can't win!
Not at all, its a very efficient way to run a business.
J Ed
Follow Back Pro Expropriation
Well, profitable, yeah. Ridiculous for non share holders tho!
Looby
Well-Known Member
I've worked in out/inbound sales and various customer service roles in call centres. Shit, horrible work but the best teamwork and atmosphere I've worked in too. Sales was soul destroying as I was crap at it but fun at times too. I ended up on the top performing team in my office. They were so great, they didn't mind that much that I was so shit as we aced all targets anyway. I did cry every day though. Hmmm
My two years in a civil service contact centre were great in many ways. Great social life, loads of laughs and a universal hatred of management does wonders for bonding. [emoji41]
cesare
shady's dreams ♥
I'd say it was probably the most soul destroying work that I've worked in.
I have only worked in one call centre. Pretty much as others have described. Wrap, some staff lying to customers claiming they have done X or Y when you could see they hadn't even touched their file, due to pressure to meet targets. This happened more in the less unionised office. Go figure. Bullshit management changing things for the sake of it AKA Some twonk trying to make a name for themselves. Because of the nature of the business we got quite a phew angry callers. Complaints. If they were ranting, I would just take my headset off and put it on the desk, whilst they continue for two minutes not hearing what they've said. It was better than telling them to shut the fuck-up. Though sometimes they had a point. And most callers would Generally be fine.
All that said, a good team leader makes a very big difference. The second one I had I got on with fine. He never got on mycase was generally supportive. it wasn't a terrible place to work. And on balance, I preferred it to doing audio typing, which I done before that.
All that said, a good team leader makes a very big difference. The second one I had I got on with fine. He never got on mycase was generally supportive. it wasn't a terrible place to work. And on balance, I preferred it to doing audio typing, which I done before that.
dervish
if you flibble when you wibble, don't wobble
When I worked in inbound tech support I loved the angry customers. People would pass them onto me all the time, I could usually find a decent resolution as well. I would just wait until they had run out of steam and then see what could be done to help them. It got to the point where managers were passing angry customers to me. Then I got promoted off the phones to level 3 and had to deal with "vips". That was depressing, usually they didn't actually have a problem that could be solved, at least not by me and they just ranted, you had to be ultra polite as well as anything they could complain about later they would, extensively.
J Ed
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I much preferred dealing with people calling up to complain about bank charges, because they typically their complaints were totally legitimate (bank charges are ridiculous, £25 charge for a direct debit you have no control over?!) and I didn't have to feign empathy. On the other hand, if you have a rich cunt calling up demanding that you justify why the insurance company you work for doesn't cover for X operation at X private hospital there is absolutely nothing you can actually say to placate them if they have decided that they don't want a solution and just want to victimise you.
el-ahrairah
forward communism, forward gerbils!
well, i've tolerated some shit jobs. i've been a hotel cleaner, a kitchen porter, and done all sorts of low end admin, and call centre work was the worst. it was so bad that i left without having anything definite to go to and no savings but after three months i'd rather take a risk than stay.
J Ed
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weltweit
Well-Known Member
In my last role I did a lot of cold calling, qualifying people before selling to them. I worked on my own, (have never worked in a call centre) and make my own arrangements as to when I call, how many calls I make a day and the like. I think because of that freedom I don't have a problem with it.
tommers
Busta Rhymes is an unstoppable movement
Is it? What's staff turnover like in these places? How's morale doing?
Judging from this thread, very high and non-existent.
The whole approach is coming from "we don't trust you to do your job" - the constant monitoring, the insistence on following set questions and then, finally, the removal of any control and flexibility over your working day. Not sure I'd want somebody working under those conditions to be the public face of my company.
Much better, for me, to have a motivated workforce who believe in your aims working towards agreed targets. People treated like adults. Happy staff means happy customers means happy business.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
you want a blighty wound
Onket
Je suis [CONTENT REMOVED]
Exactly.
Blagsta
Minimum cage, maximum cage
Although over the years I've had at least a grand out of NPower for all their fuck ups. Seems inefficient to me.
DotCommunist
So many particulars. So many questions.
I'd rather do industrial and site cleaning, moneys around the same but the filth is just inert and it can be oddly zen in a wax-on-wax-off way
tommers
Busta Rhymes is an unstoppable movement
Sure. I'm saying that's a ridiculous way to run a business. Your staff directly impact your business and your profit. How can they not?
Whats the stat about the cost of finding, appointing and training new staff? Can't remember the exact figure but something like 3 x salary. It costs a shitload to constantly replace staff who have burned out and had enough. If I call you and speak to somebody who knows nothing about their job and doesn't care then I don't really want to call back and I go somewhere else.
Lots of companies are making a real effort to look after their workforce (see google with their relaxation rooms and bean bags). That's not cos their nice people, its cos that's the best way to get the most out of their workforce.
That figure about finding, appointing and training new staff is clearly bollocks. Maybe for high skilled jobs, but callcentre stuff? Nah.
The simple fact is, when you factor in all that stuff, it's more profitable to have an overworked, low skilled, low morale, high turnover workforce (at least in this particular sector - google is so far from being comparable they might as well be astronauts) than it is to have a happy, well rewarded one. That's why they do it, not because they hate people - people aren't relevant, profit is.
The simple fact is, when you factor in all that stuff, it's more profitable to have an overworked, low skilled, low morale, high turnover workforce (at least in this particular sector - google is so far from being comparable they might as well be astronauts) than it is to have a happy, well rewarded one. That's why they do it, not because they hate people - people aren't relevant, profit is.
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
Important to remember that both are management strategies (to maintain profits and workplace control of course) and both will be used when they think the conditions demand. Even within the same workplace - you often get the arm round the shoulder bollocks in the managers office then you're chucked back out to the same speed up and work-discipline.
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