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.

Bloody awful! Not for me at all but each to their own!

If it's a good company and you are reasonably competent it's a good springboard to other things but you will need to pay you dues first. I know a number of directors who started in the contact centre. Call centre/sales is a different kettle of fish.

I worked in a civil service contact centre, it was awful, almost like being in a factory. From 8.30 to 5.30 all you heard was phones ringing, there were display boards showing how many calls were answered, how many were waiting & what the longest call waiting time was. If the call waiting time went over 3 minutes the board turned Amber, over 5 minutes, red. Managers could listen in on calls, toilet breaks & if you switched off for any reason were timed & you had to give reasons for all switch off times. Though we worked flexi time you had to put in start & leaving times for the week on a Monday morning, lunchtimes were staggered, it was like being a battery hen, managers moaned if we took too long on a call & then moaned about the quality of the service if we rushed. I would never work in a contact centre again if I was paid a million pounds a week.

I forgot to say in both call centres staff on the phones had staggered breaks. In the first call centre people were scheduled to be on their break on their own while in the second you were scheduled with a group of people. If the managers saw people were getting on they would try to put you on a break with those people more often.

No wages, flogging a dead horse. But the only thing I really know about them, is receiving them. I'm fairly ignorant on the specifics.

I hated working in a call centre. There was zero flexibility. You couldn't go to the loo when you wanted. It was boring as fuck and I put weight on because it was so sedentary. Never again.

Oh and I got a disciplinary for wearing a denim skirt because "jeans aren't allowed". Despite the fact that a) I was sitting with my legs under a desk all day and b) didn't see anyone other than the other call handlers. The people we spoke to on the phone were in Europe.

Spam
Unskilled labour

I’m sure this doesn’t apply to all call centres, but really, haven’t we all had enough of PPI and the dreaded, “we’re calling about the accident you had..” which of course usually happens when you’re on the loo or brushing your teeth.

Boring job
Bad money
Regional

I used to work in one when I was at uni and I hated it. Door to door double glazing selling was worse though.

I worked in one a long time ago and hated it. Soulless, thankless and badly paid. Hated it. My daughter has worked in one the past year and it’s made her ill. She has left now thank god.

Thanks all. I'm applying for a job as a Recruitment Manager for a large telecoms company, recruiting mainly for contact centre staff and I have to do a presentation on local attraction issues. One of the areas I want to focus on is perception of call centres and the role itself so your replies are really helpful

The one I had was a mixture of calls and off line work. I was well paid and have been unable to find a job that pays as well. Round here once you work in a call centre it tars you for life.