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AIBU?

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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:
RaspberryCoulis · 03/03/2021 07:51

I was at a "training session" once and at the post-lunch energizer they made us get up on our chairs and do the hokey cokey.

Seriously. I feel for you OP, the dance off sounds horrendous.

LApprentiSorcier · 03/03/2021 07:54

@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.
Many call centres have a high turnover like this. Not all - there are some decent ones with sensible practices - but the OP's experience isn't unusual.

All the team-building rubbish is a way of deflecting attention from what the actual working conditions are like.

peak2021 · 03/03/2021 07:55

YANBU to find this all ridiculous. I hope EE are reading this thread. I can understand group training and things to start the day off such as introductions, but the rest does seem weird and not sure what it achieves.

BakedTattie · 03/03/2021 07:57

Are you going to work today? It sounds like he’ll, and generally I’m a really outgoing extrovert type person, very loud. But he’ll no would I do that kind of shit! And I’d be telling them too.

FeloniusGru · 03/03/2021 08:00

I’m sorry you’ve been subjected to this OP. It’s awful - I couldn’t do this at all. I dread “team building” events at the best of times, but every day for 7 weeks?!
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Londonnight · 03/03/2021 08:16

This would be my worst nightmare. I really hate anything like this. Even primary children don't have to do this!
Unless you really need this job, I would leave

DavidsSchitt · 03/03/2021 08:18

"is unlikely you will be able to cope with being shouted at by dickheads ringing up EE to whinge about their phones not working"

Don't be so ridiculous. I've dealt with the most difficult and dangerous "customers" you could possibly imagine. None of my training involved dancing and being told to moo.

Nollopian · 03/03/2021 08:22

Did you post about this last week OP. If it wasn't you someone posted almost the exact same thing so maybe your new colleagues are just as fed up with it as you are.

I personally would start looking for another job and leave ASAP.
Also could you apply for some temp work whilst you look for another job and leave immediately.
This would be my idea of hell however sales/customer service in these call centres is very cut throat so stuff like this separates the wheat from the chaff. Some will enjoy it and do very well in their new jobs and others like you will hate it and just get by each month

caramac04 · 03/03/2021 08:24

I know someone who was thrilled to get a job as a ‘geek’ helping customers with technical problems over the phone. Every morning started with similar rubbish, singing and high fiving etc. He hated it and left. Gutting for him as he loved the work and it was well paid.
I don’t know what the answer is OP, I could probably cope with it but I would fail to see how this is going to make you a better employee.

Brefugee · 03/03/2021 08:29

How are you doing, OP?

Team building exercises can be good - but some of this sounds like utter tosh.

PP was right though - if you need the job you have to get your game face on. But i disagree about making excuses. Dance off? No thanks i don't dance. Be firm, be polite and refuse. Moo? Just answer the question and "oh sorry, i forgot"

Make notes of all the things that have made you or others uncomfortable and why (changing Asian to western names? the racism in that would make me uncomfortable, Dance off? i don't like dancing and maybe it would expose someone who has a hidden disability. Moo like a cow? infantalising etc etc)
When they say they don't want you because you're not their kind of "team player" give your feedback in writing, cc to the head of HR and any of the board members you can get email addresses for.

Good luck!

FeltTipPenny · 03/03/2021 08:29

Walk away with your head held high, OP. You're not a failure, this is not a nice environment to be in. You've had so many replies and I don't think even one person has said anything other than 'get the hell outta there!'

Nith · 03/03/2021 08:36

Can you contact HR and explain how this affects your mental health? For a company that is supposedly into staff wellbeing, they should pay attention to that.

KarmaNoMore · 03/03/2021 08:38

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.

We only had a single team building exercise in the years I worked for the NHS.

We were an amazing team until the day... the woman who delivered spent the day pointing out our differences and why we wouldn’t be able to work with x other person in the team due to our personality types. We had to do that 16 personality type shite (shite because it only helps if you know what type each of your coworkers is and what personality type is like), but when we got the results, she said that they were wrong because we couldn’t be that type, we should be the one she perceived us as.

She was not even hired to come and do the training, but someone high up in our Trust with apparently all the right credentials for this type of work (and a reputation of being a massive bully, some of my coworkers were so traumatised after working with her for some time they were never able to work again).

Confusedandshaken · 03/03/2021 08:38

Stick with it. I worked in a rival telecoms call centre for years. It was one of the best jobs I ever had despite being twice the age of most other staff. We worked very, very hard but we had such a laugh and there was a great sense of camaraderie. And being able to unplug the headset and walk away at the end of the day without any worries was so freeing.

Hoppinggreen · 03/03/2021 08:39

While this sounds pretty awful if you are the poster I think you posted twice about whether you should take the job based on hours/transport and also a couple of times about the wages
I appreciate that if you suffer from MH issues you might overthink things but if I am right you didn’t want to take the job and are now looking for a reason to leave
Apologies if I am completely wrong and I’ve got the wrong person

Call centre work is generally sales, they dress it up as customer service but that’s only a small part of it, if you have targets it’s a sales job and it’s not for everyone. The methods these people are using to train you are outdated and lazy frankly and I don’t blame you for hating it BUT just do the very minimum and get through it (with a mental eye roll). You can refuse to do things - I refused to break a plank with my hand at a similar training session. If you do leave you might be sanctioned and it could be a struggle to get your benefits back.

Dontknownow86 · 03/03/2021 08:41

If you have anxiety op working in a call centre will not help. I worked in some for a couple of years and it led me in a continuous path of depression and low self confidence. If it's not the humiliating forced fun it's endlessly being berated by customers and management for taking too long in the loo that day etc. Very dehumanizing. I wouldn't recommend them to my worst enemy.

NotSeenBulling · 03/03/2021 08:42

YANBU This would freak me out too OP.

Imfromhere · 03/03/2021 08:44

Had this once at a big work conference. 500ish people. All branch supervisors for a well know store. During it we were instructed that our "areas" had too get together and had 30 mins to come up with a dance routine Hmm

Our area manager was loving it. I asked him if he was seriously making us to this? He replied "yes its fun".

I explained I was 38 years old and i had grown out of making up dance routines when i was 7. That i though it was all very humiliating and showed the company didnt respect us as grown adults with a hell of a lot of responsibility.

I then just said "nope, dont think so" and walked out Grin.

Went for a coffee and went back in when all the stupid stuff was finished with. Did get a massive bollocking afterwards for walking out and then later when asked by the big CEO if I had enjoyed it i told him how ridiculous it was too Blush. Alot of people approached me later and said they wished they had the balls to do the same.

Luckily I didnt get sacked (I was very very good at my job) and actually got promoted a year later.

Still so glad I dont work there anymore and dont have corporate crap like that to deal with!

Tisforptarmigan · 03/03/2021 08:45

Gosh I feel so sorry for you. I hate being I. The spotlight and would hate all of this shit. There is no way I could participate in a dance off. I have no idea what they hope to achieve by doing this. It sounds like your worst school days bundled up together.

Look for another job ASAP. Enforced 'fun' should be illegal.

Mischance · 03/03/2021 08:47

What a load of manipulative crap - it really annoys me so much. How dare they think that just because they have given you a job they can treat you like a performing monkey. So inappropriate and entirely unacceptable. Why do companies think this is necessary? Do they really think it achieves anything at all? It is a bit of nonsense imported from America.

If you need this job then you may just have to grit your teeth and moo your way to your desk - but absolutely remember that IT is crap - and not you! And do not feel you are weird that this makes you anxious - there are a fair few MumsNetters here who clearly feel the same, so you are in good company!

Deep breath, gird up your loins and.......moo!

LittleCatDog · 03/03/2021 08:51

OP you need to email your manager about how this is making you feel and tell them it is causing you anxiety. Informing your employer this is affecting your MH will immediately put them on notice and the Equality Act 2010 will apply. If they don’t make reasonable adjustments i.e stop their stupid shit, the ball is completely in your court to resign and claim constructive dismissal. There’s been a huge rise in these cases recently. The law is completely on your side so don’t put up with this nonsense. If an employer knows something they are doing is causing you MH issues (disability) and they don’t act, they can be in so much trouble (£££).

Original poster
nereef · 03/03/2021 08:54

Thanks everyone I've quit.
made a decision last night and feel so much better this morning.
Will now be looking for more office based roles.
I have administration experience so hopefully will find something.
Even if it's just on a temp contract.
Thankyou for making me feel like it wasn't me being OTT

OP posts:
TwatWaffleTwinkleToes · 03/03/2021 08:57

Well done, OP.

Here's hoping you find something you feel much more comfortable doing! (I'd have hated all that EE crap, too!)

WingingIt101 · 03/03/2021 08:59

As a corporate trainer I’m embarrassed. A really big part of being an effective trainer is being inclusive and making sure all your participants are comfortable. You shouldn’t be being subjected to this on so many different grounds - as you say it’s degrading and all in the name of “team building” - what about speaking to the trainer direct? Chances are they can’t change the programme but it would hopefully make them consider new approaches to make everyone feel more included.

Unless your need for the job outweighs your anxiety (ie you’d be incredibly anxious unemployed for an unknown length of time) then you have nothing to lose by saying something to either the trainer / your manager / hr (who will be ultimately responsible for this shit induction and then for the impact on you afterwards)!

Good luck!

WingingIt101 · 03/03/2021 08:59

Oh sorry! Rtft 😂

Well done for quitting - they sound like a bunch of idiots if that’s their idea of good on boarding!!

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