To ask what words come into your head when you hear 'Call/Contact Centre Job'

[Lifeonmars77]

Just that really. Interested in perceptions and opinions of that type of role.

Stress. I worked for a bank call centre ages ago, it was actually quite well paid, well above minimum wage and we got good bonuses, share saves, free parking, subsidised canteen and creche and lots of incentives. They were actually a good employer but I found the work and the non stop talking/selling too much.

My sister did it for a while. She said it was thankless, exhausting, stressful, inflexible.... and she dealt with rude people all day long. Dealing with rude people face to face is one thing, over the phone people can hide so I imagine it's so much worse. On the other hand she made the best friends there and had the best social life.

Nuisance calls and workers on commission who are miserable and desperate.

I did it whilst a post-grad student. Most of us were undergraduates or post graduates taking inbound customer service calls. Also lots of parents (mainly mothers) fitting hours around childcare. It was loads better than alternative jobs. Far more money at the time than the minimum wage, flexible hours, not too demanding compared to, for example, bar work, waitressing etc. The teams were lovely, I am still friends with some of my colleagues and as part of a large multinational we were treated pretty well. Actually some variety and most customers were fine, although a few arseholes but there are in most jobs that deal with the public. The worst were callers who thought they were superior because you worked in a call centre but mainly loads of nice people wanting you to resolve something.

I’ve worked for the same company for 17 years, most of which doing call centre work. I earn 32k per year basic plus commission and a yearly bonus. I have a final salary pension and the maternity pay was excellent when I had my 2 DC’s. I work with a great group of people and my opinion is valued, also great potential for moving up the career ladder and many of my colleagues from when I first started are now very senior. I love my job and feel very lucky but I dislike telling people what I do for a living as people can be very sneery about call centre jobs assuming it is low skilled and minimum wage. I do get set targets but these are achievable and I love talking to people so this is a good job for me.

I work for a bank, in the call centre. I love it. I'm quite well paid, the company is good to work for, lots of benefits and I enjoy the work. I dont sell anything.

I've worked in 2 years ago.

Once as an assistant to management and then doing outbound calls. They both gave me useful skills including how you can destroy an individual's motivation.

I actually got in trouble for not reporting people for spending too long in the toilet, having too many toilet breaks, or greeting someone's baby. I also caught a couple of people faking sick leave and that call centre never had enough staff even though they paid a lot.

Doing outbound calls were fine as the managers were a lot better and for some odd reason you didn't want to spend too long on the toilet or having too many toilet breaks unless you really had to. And no-one faked sick leave. They paid less but seemed to have no problems with staff retention.

I honestly don’t have one single perception/idea of call centres, I know some are nice jobs with decent people and alright pay. But I know others are dealing with horrible customers, under strict deadlines from rude bosses.
I know some are relatively small in one office, but others are in huge sprawling buildings in rural areas where there isn’t a lot of other work.
But all in all I think people need to pay the bills and they need a job to do that, and sometimes the most suitable ones are call centre roles. So whatever you need to do to live.

Stressful and monotonous. I've worked for a few years in banking call centres and wouldn't be keen to do it again. I did work with some nice people, but I disliked the culture really. Having the radio on and throwing a ball to your team mates whilst you were on a call was considered 'fun', I found it annoying and hard to concentrate!

I have always worked in call centres until 8 months ago.

I started at the bottom, but like pp, worked my way up. Regular promotions and wage increases.

Yea you are monitored. Call times, weap times, how long unavailable (usually for the loo) strict break times, customer surveys

But tbh I likes that too when it came to appraisal and bonus time, the facts and figure spoke for themseleves.

I have worked in a couple of crap ones. But most have been great.

I am looking to return to call centres asap. I miss it.

I work in one and have done for a long time.
I guess it depends on the job/company.

I’ve worked my way and done quite well for myself. I rarely get rude people, I don’t have to ask to go to the toilet, I get paid fairly reasonably for the job I do. My job is very very flexible.
I’m quite happy for the time being doing what I’m doing.

Rubbish pay, undervalued staff, targets and toilet breaks monitored

I work in a contact centre. I started 11 years ago on the phones at £18k and am now in project work on £45k. I’m pretty happy with my progression. I’m officially based in the CC but I can work from home whenever I want.

My company is a massive high street bank, there’s lots of opportunities that aren’t contact centre based. Obviously I can’t speak for other companies but in my experience they’re great!

I work in one of sorts in a sales role. The money is incredible.

Oh and we don’t have our toilet breaks timed, you can check your personal phone if you dont take the piss.

I worked in a big call centre for 5 years as my first real job. It was a retention sales job, I earned more money than I knew what to do with. 12 years later and I’m now working in more of a contact centre, still in sales but it’s consultative, professional industry, I’ve progressed well in the last 7 years in my job, we are treated extremely well, valued by our employers, rewarded for our hard work with competitive salary and excellent commission and bonuses - nobody breathing down our necks, no nasty customers or demoralising targets. I love it.

I think there’s a world of difference between cold calling sales, which can include some pretty unethical practices, and a customer service role in a contact centre.

Never again.

I worked outbound sales for a couple of years alongside A-levels and it was incredibly monotonous. Even more so when I finished school and did it full time, even though I was able to work on a lot of different clients.

But it got me where I am today. I took the opportunities available for training, qualifications and experience and worked my way up over the years.

The company I worked for no longer exist, but if when I started the call centre itself was how it was by the time I left, I doubt I'd have lasted a month.

Depends. I've worked in three including as a 999 dispatcher
The one I'm in now is tiny, maybe 12 staff. No real targets, commission is earned just by answering the phone and is usually around £800pm on top of basic wage. No real stress and no work to take home. Suits me!

I take 90% inbound calls in a contact centre, skilled role, outbound are all "warm" so low stress / pressure. Sometimes hard to get cover for leave/appointments as it's a tiny team, plus nature of the role means overtime sometimes necessary. Nonetheless I love it. Have done outbound cold calls (surveys rather than sales) and enjoyed that as well. People liked having a chat and didn't mind being rung, absolute delight. I've been idly thinking of setting up as a consultant/analyst in my sector around the day job so I can do it again! Plus they get paid orders of magnitude more than I do!

I hated every monotonous minute of it.

Awful. Anxiety inducing. Moaning callers, sometimes justified, sometimes not, but that didn't really matter. I hated the job and moved on after a couple of miserable months.

I also hated the 'chats' from the team leader when I'd been in an unavailable mode for too long, in their opinion.

I don't think I can list even one positive thing about my experience.

Boring and depressing. Used to work in one. Never again!

I've never worked in one and I don't think I'd like to. When I know I have to phone a call centre I get a feeling of dread - apart from co-op bank cos they're always awesome.

Anxiety
Customers wishing cancer on the caller