To hate call centre work?anyone worked in one?

[redbedled]

A month ago I started work in a call centre and I hate it.
My last job was in a department store for 8 years which I loved but it closed down and this feels like torture.
Yes the money is better but it's giving me anxiety (already had it but it's getting worse)
It's a sales role,8am till 6.30pm
I have to get up at half 5 to catch the 6.15 bus then I'm not getting home till 8.15 pm.
It's mom -fri
The people I work with are really loud and cocky and a lot younger than me.
I'm late 30s and shy and just want to take calls and go home but it's not like that.
Are they all like this ?
Everyone slags everyone off.
I feel like a fish out of water.
They record your screens so watch every move you make,you have to sell on every call (even if you miss sell ) they take advantage of elderly customers or lonely customers who think you want to chat to them (I do ) but then you have the team leader in front
Sell
Sell
I'm feeling sick every day.
I can't sleep
I'm getting 3 hours a night
I don't want to let people down by quitting but I can't stand it.

Oh God nothing is worth this.

Can you afford to leave? No potential employer will judge a short period of employment there if it's made aware of the reasons you left. Sounds awful.

You want to try working in customer services in a call centre it's even worse. Its a horrible job and I won't ever do it again. Try looking for something else op.

Sounds awful, I've done call centre work, although not sales so not quite as bad as you describe, but I remember the constant watching, monitoring what we were doing. Can you afford to quit, if so do it, you need to look after your own well being, don't worry about letting anyone down.

That sounds so soul destroying. Around here we have a few Aldi and Lidl opening. Do you have anything near you? Apparently they are good employers. Or is there anything connected to the census you could do as a stop gap? I hope you find something better

I’ve done it and was very good at it but it almost killed me. Not even kidding. I ended up extremely ill, didn’t sleep hardly at all for nine months and when I did I had horrific nightmares. The stress response and anxiety became too much for me mentally and physically.

Your job is different to mine in that your employers sound horribly unscrupulous. That in itself is enough reason to quit. My job was at least legit and I didn’t feel I was being immoral working there.

I will never do any job in that sector again.

If you can afford to leave, just go.

Run for the hills 🏃

I was quite bad with my anxiety 3 years ago but I felt comfortable at my old job.
No pressure and I had friends at work.
Nobody talks to me here.
I don't mean to sound judgmental but a lot of them are a bit chavy and we have zero in common.
One gets on the bus after work and won't wear a mask and actually said to me "don't you feel like a dick with that on"
I rushed into this just because I didn't want to be unemployed but I'm terrified it's going to make me unwell again.
I've made an apt with Gp to restart my anti depressants (first time in 5 years ) as I don't think il stay without them.

That sounds awful, if I was you I’d apply for anything and everything just to get out of there. Then whistleblow to their regulatory body for misselling practices.

If I left I probably would have to claim universal credits until I can find another job.
I wouldn't mind a job in supermarkets etc
Il start applying.

If you can afford to leave, leave. No amount of money is worth your health.

Don’t sacrifice your mental health and well-being for a shit job like this. Honestly, it’s just not worth it. I’m still not completely over it and it was years ago.

I use to work in a call centre but it wasn't like that.

It was customer service based for a insurance company.

Full timers worked mon-fri on a 8 hour shift which began at 8am and finished at 7pm on a rolling shift pattern eg one week 8-4,another 9-5,then 10-6 etc

Yes I was in my 30's and there were lots of students/younger people working there but everyone was nice enough.

Your always going to get some backstabbing/bitching etc in any job.

I'd say it's easier to find work when your in work so stay put and start applying for new jobs.

It's such a shame because I think your experience is going to become really common as retail goes downhill.

I've worked in 2 call centres, one on the phones and in a technical person.

It's a really difficult job, but sales is the worst. Please don't stay if it's making you miserable but it is valuable experience and it might make it easier to get yourself an inbound customer service role. These are really different and at the moment a lot of them can be from home. They can range from lower paid in the private sector (and often try to upsell too) to £22k a year ish in the public sector (NHS/local authority) public sector jobs are harder to get but their call centres tend to be staffed with more experienced staff and those with some life experience. Plus no selling!

In all honesty I hate the restrictions of working there, even when you're not on the phones because like you say there's no wiggle room to be late. To cover 8.30-6 (not on the phones) I was out of the house from 7-7, but like I said more offer homeworking now so that isn't such an issue.

Good luck! But I'd start looking around, sales won't get better.

A old lady might ring up and they expect us to sell a Mobile and tv package to her (she has no idea what I'm talking about )
A lot will say ok and not understand.
Then they get the bill for £65 extra and will ring customer services.
Apparently that's not our problem and a different department but once they agree they are stuck in a contact for 24 months.

It fills a gap sometimes, staff turnover is high, and the invisible sign above the door used to say "leave your morals at home if you want to keep your job".
But you know that from day one, so the exit strategy needs work... you know you don't want to do that any more, but it can open opportunities in customer services, both phone and face to face. 4 to 6 months and out... most can manage that.

I have worked in a solicitors before my retail job as a admin assistant.
That was for 3 years.

You aren't letting anyone down but yourself. Don't put up with it if it's making your life a misery. There are jobs around, supermarkets seem to be taking on people, and in my area at least there's always cleaning jobs or care work (I know not for everyone!).

That sounds awful. Don’t sacrifice your mental health for this job.

I have worked in a call centre but thankfully not in sales. The monitoring and constant pressure to keep on target ( whatever they may be) was horrible. But the worst thing was the noise. When you opened the door to the floor the noise but you. It sounded just like a chicken farm to me. And no time to talk to each other either.
With your previous retail experience you could get a job in any shop and as a Pp said Aldi and Lidl are good employers and are growing week by week.
Don't stay in this job. Your health and wellbeing are the important factors here and as your employer doesn't care you have to take care of yourself.
If you don't find anything to apply for immediately you could claim jsa (ni contribution based ) or universal credit ( income based) which will buy you some time at least.

Start applying for everything and anything. This place sounds awful.

Take whatever else you can get and leave. What about working as a carer. You sound very empathetic and kind. Good luck

I think a lot of call centres are like this. Target driven and no morality. I worked in. Bank call centres for a while and felt like a chicken in a factory farm. I absolutely hated it. If I were you I would walk out. You’ll find something else.

Hopefully as stores reopen you will find something else @redbedled

@Iseeyoulookingatme

You want to try working in customer services in a call centre it's even worse. Its a horrible job and I won't ever do it again. Try looking for something else op.

I've done both, and found sales far worse than customer services. Especially when it's sales for a company like in the OP. I had to sell a product that claimed something we knew wasn't true, when we told management we weren't comfortable lying we were told that was the script and it was more important to get the sales. I left a soon as I could, though one of my colleagues went on lunch one day and just didn't come back.

Good luck finding something better OP, you need to do something less damaging.

We were told a product we are selling is £15 cheaper elsewhere.
We have to sell the brand.
Make the customer believe they are getting a good deal.