Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel so stupid ? New job problems

167 replies

nereef · 02/03/2021 20:50

I started a new job last Wednesday.
12 of us started and I hate it.
I'm quite a shy person.
All I wanted to do was come in,learn the job and crack on.
First day we had to stand up and talk about ourselves for 5 mins (fair enough ) then they did a presentation on the company.
They got everyone to read a paragraph each out loud to the rest of the group(seriously felt as if I was back in school,I was stuttering my words and didn't take in any info as I was concentrating so hard not to get my paragraph wrong)
Now the beginning of each day and end of the day ..they do a quiz.
We have to get in teams of 4 and when we know the answer (we have to mooo like a cow and say the answer)
Now tomorrow it's a dance off.
This is a contact centre for a well known mobile phone company.
I feel so stupid doing all this.
They are wasting the day with all this rubbish instead of learning the company products.
I would have learnt more if they had gave me a manual.
Aibu here or is this ridiculous?

OP posts:
SpeakingFranglais · 03/03/2021 06:27

I bloody knew it was EE! I work for another part of the wider group and have seen communications from the union about such unacceptable practices, mainly around being low performers and the union being involved.

The wider company did not support these actions and told management to reign it in. Clearly they didn’t.

I can say in the wider group this is NOT the done thing.

Join the CWU as soon as you can if you intend to hang around a bit.

MuddleMoo · 03/03/2021 06:31

@Moomoolandmoomooland

Have you done call centre work before OP? Because all of this is just setting you up for the crap you have to deal with from customers.
I don't think customers will ask them to moo?
Heyahun · 03/03/2021 06:39

If you want the job then you need to join in - it’s always gonna be like this there - it won’t just end after the training. I don’t think you will get special treatment or be allowed opt out - it’s the culture of the company!

If you don’t like it and can’t/won’t join in then I think you have to leave - it’s not for you!

sunflowersandbuttercups · 03/03/2021 06:42

@THisbackwithavengeance

Look this sort of thing is all bollocks obviously but I don't think posters are being helpful.

If you want the job, put your game face on and join in with as good grace as you can muster.

Alternatively you can resign. I see no other alternative.

If your anxiety or MH is so bad that you cannot cope with this sort of team building crap, then it is unlikely you will be able to cope with being shouted at by dickheads ringing up EE to whinge about their phones not working.

Bollocks.
aintnothinbutagstring · 03/03/2021 06:42

Lol, a family member of mine, who is the most lovely, funny and outgoing person, is great with people, started at EE. She couldn't get on with their ways so left pretty quick. It's not just you Grin

NoProblem123 · 03/03/2021 06:51

Fake an injury and put those dancing shoes away.

It sounds like hell so just see it as a stepping stone to better things Wine

aintnothinbutagstring · 03/03/2021 06:52

I don't think this prepares you for working with customers. I am in a public facing role, my company would never try this crap, there's no time for a start, we have too much real work to do.

MyNameIsFiveSpice · 03/03/2021 06:54

Sounds horrendous. 7 weeks is very long. Is there any way that you can provide feedback? I hope that would lead to more meaning training.

Also, I don’t want to make light of the matter but if you were a creative person, I’d write all those things down and see if you could get a book out of it or maybe write a screenplay for one of those fly on the wall TV shows. David Mitchell, Richard Ayoade and Charlotte Ritchie would be great.

Sorry, I am prone to maladaptive daydreaming and I can get lost in my own world, it helps me cope with anxiety inducing stimuli and I sometimes just write them down later. I don’t do it so much anymore but it was just a way to cope with life.

VivaLeBeaver · 03/03/2021 06:54

If you have been working for two years stick with it for now. It would look bad on your cv if you left with no other job. By all means keep applying for other stuff but it’s easier to get a job when you’re already in one.

It will get better once the training is done. They’ll just want you answering calls then.

Forwhatitsworth101 · 03/03/2021 06:58

When I was younger I worked in two call centres and never experienced this!

Come to the NHS if you can- too much real work and I’ve never done team building exercises despite having worked for a number of different trusts.

MrsBrunch · 03/03/2021 07:04

What happens if you just don't join in?

No-one can make you and if you very gently just say I'll pass on this one thanks, others may follow suit.

ememem84 · 03/03/2021 07:08

@KatieB55

I worked in a call-centre for a company that didn't allow two people to have the same name, so I had to choose a different name. My friend was made to change her name from Ranvir to Julie to be more user-friendly. It was ridiculous. I didn't stay there long.
Surely then you’d have thought they’d only employ one person with each name?!

I’m guessing no duplicates of name so customers can state names etc? And they k ow who it is?

Mental.

Dsis used to worm for Hsbc in the telephone banking. She was regularly late home because she wasn’t allowed not to answer the phone if it rang at 4.59....

She had kids of enforced fun stuff. Hated it.

RampantIvy · 03/03/2021 07:10

This is the kind of thread that I would want to end up in the tabloids. I am a confident person who enjoys team building stuff, but even I would draw the line at these ridiculous and humiliating tactics.

It's no wonder that they have such a high turnover of staff.

ChikiTIKI · 03/03/2021 07:10

This sounds so so awful. Are there any managers you can tell some of what you've said here? I would hope that if you say the quiz thing is humiliating, they would at least consider something else. I feel awful for you. I would not be able to cope with this.

Brownteddybear · 03/03/2021 07:13

Wow this has put me off ever using this company!! Sorry OP I hope you find another job soon.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 03/03/2021 07:14

@KatieB55

I knew a company that didn't 'allow' two people to have the same name in a call centre but that was because if a customer said they were previously talking with 'Julie' they could easily direct them to the original contact. Also working if there was a compliant...

GingerScallop · 03/03/2021 07:16

Am so sorry op. This is awful. Sounds like it was designed by a wanker boy. I hope you find a different job soon

@RampantIvy, I do hope EE's stupendously stupid practices are exposed. It's beyond ridiculous

GingerScallop · 03/03/2021 07:19

@Twoleftsockswithholes why not give customers ref numbers. Or even say "Am Julie but since there are a few Julies here, please refer to me as Julie5

In any case, asking Ranvir (a South Asian name) to change to a Western name is a practice informed by racism

TroysMammy · 03/03/2021 07:24

It makes you wonder why 12 people started at the same time. Either 12 people had quit because it's a shit job /company to work for and they had jobs to fill or they over employ knowing full well that people not prepared to put up with that shit will walk during the induction.

PeggyHill · 03/03/2021 07:25

I don't suffer with anxiety at all and I would absolutely hate all of this shit. YANBU.

I think it's nice to get to know your colleagues in a friendly way, but ultimately you are there to do a job. I like to just get on with my work. The Christmas party or similar would be the place for this kind of thing. Not a normal week.

doubleleopardy · 03/03/2021 07:30

@TroysMammy

It makes you wonder why 12 people started at the same time. Either 12 people had quit because it's a shit job /company to work for and they had jobs to fill or they over employ knowing full well that people not prepared to put up with that shit will walk during the induction.
Companies often recruit like this. It's easier to train a group all at once. I've had it in both public and private sector. The private company had a tiny bit of the bullshit described by the OP but again was a sales company full of young people so some fucking loved all the competitions and stuff.
CiderJolly · 03/03/2021 07:33

Agree with the poster who said to make up an excuse to get out of the dancing- sciatica or something- you wouldn’t want to trigger it etc

However I honestly think the best thing for your mental health would be take them to one side for a word and be honest- they can’t discriminate and this is having a negative impact on your mental health.
The humiliation type activities are shocking and they should know better- join the union and stand up for yourself. Remain calm, be professional and polite but refuse to take part in pointless exercises that are designed to humiliate.

gutful · 03/03/2021 07:36

Wow was almost going to make a similar thread about being an omnivert in an extroverted office at a new job

The more they do these silly team building exercises the more feel myself isolating & unable to interact.

I can’t stand all this corporate team building bullshit & having to have a WIP every single morning to discuss your highlight, lowlight, emerging issue & priority of the day

The stress of having to talk each morning puts me off

Also everyone at my work hates me & am the “weird one” so essentially slipping back into 90s goth girl again.

It’s like being back in high school

You’re not alone OP!

Deathraystare · 03/03/2021 07:40

My idea of hell would be working for a call centre anyway! I have an overactive bladder and imagine my frequent loo trips would be frowned on! That's before we get to the mooing like a cow bit! Ok if you were doing drama but otherwise, nope!

Just think, someone devised this humiliating shite and someone else thought good idea!!!

When I was out of work I always dreaded being forced to take this sort of job!

    `

b

singsingbluesilver · 03/03/2021 07:40

Team building, staff welfare - whatever name it is known by it's all utter crap, and I hated it. Someone out there makes a lot of money coming up with crap that even 8 year old would refuse to do.

Call centres are notorious for this. In my school we had one training session where we were shown a call centre video of staff going through such 'team building' crap. The person delivering the training said in her overly bright, chirpy way that it would be great if we could all start our day with a staff singalong, and think about doing tick tock videos and the like. Errr I don't think so. I 'm to busy teaching, you know, doing the job I am actually being paid to do.

Surprise, surprise though - those on the staff who willingly joined in with the singing, the tick tock, the yoga - all climbed the greasy pole - and became peddlers of yet more crap to the rest of us. Sadly being seen as a 'team player' by doing all of this crap is often more highly valued that doing your job well.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.