Call Centre - put through to handler WFH

[Harvestfestivalknickers]

Just had to renew my insurance today. I needed to make a small amendment so rang their call centre. The call handler I was connected to was obviously WFH. I gave her my details but she had to clarify them several times as there was what sounded like a dog barking. The line was so bad she said she'd call me back. She did so but the barking continued. I made the comment that the line was still really bad and I could hear a dog barking. She didn't respond to that but carried on talking. As she came to the end of the call, the dog started barking quite clearly again. I was surprised that a large insurance company would tolerate this, surely this isn't acceptable, calls are recorded aren't they?

I bought one. It's because I didn't need the hassle of my screen locking and showing me as offline. If I had been in the office, I'd have let it lock because my manager would have been able to see I was doing something.

Its been at least 5 minutes since we had a good wfh bashing thread. Thanks for this. This is an important issue that simply doesn't get discussed enough.

For all those posters telling me to chill, stop being offended and think about the handler losing her NMW job, re-read my post. I'm not angry, I'm not going to complain and I'm certainly not going to the cause of someone losing their job. If you read the post you would have seen that she rang me back after I explained that I couldn't hear very well and had to keep repeating my details due to the dog barking. Even after she called me back the barking continued. So yes, I felt she was unprofessional but I'm not angry, offended, going to complain or feel need to chill!

Why was it so important that your device is undetectable?

OP You are never allowed to criticise people who WFH on here. All people who WFH are super efficient and their productivity has increased ten-fold now they are no longer in the office. Anyone who dares criticise is just jealous, and probably ableist too.

It's not bad service, it is simply your perception.

It wasn't important. What was important was giving my hand a rest from constantly nursing a screen.

Why are you so convinced that people working from home are lazy and mendacious?

don't be ridiculous

Any CF abusing WFH to avoid paying for necessary childcare and who is getting paid to stay home with their kids gets their arse handed to them.
Any CF abusing WFH is also not well received, as they ruin it for everyone else and are the reasons why some employers bring back some staff in the office.

The issue is about people complaining about WFH for the sake of it. Yes, they are obviously jealous and bitter, because it's stupid not to recognise that WFH works extremely well for so many people. It has always existed, and numbers prove that productivity does increase a lot for many.

Inefficient working, I’d say.

Calls are recorded normally and if this is frequent thing it will be picked up. AI Quailty tools are becoming more of a thing too. It is unacceptable that she was working with a dog or anything else generating that amount of noise.

Because 1000a buy devices to make it look.like they're working when they're not.

@Epicaricacy

Yes, they are obviously jealous and bitter

Why would I be jealous?? I have full freedom to WFH myself, so I'm certainly not jealous of others who do it. My complaint/criticism is for those who are taking the piss, not everyone, but those who are pretending to work when looking after children, ageing grannies, pets, or any other number of distractions when they should be concentrating on work. The fact I have to make repeated calls to the same firms to get things done which should have been done at first contact is evidence that it's not working as efficiently as it should. That means I have to waste valuable time in chasing them up, making repeat calls etc., just to get basic things done! And no, I don't mean everyone either. Lots of WFH staff are actually working properly, with no distractions, etc., and yes, are probably more efficient. The real issue is poor management/supervision allowing the piss takers to get away with it.

If it's her own then have it cared for by someone else whilst she works. If she was in the office then the dog home alone would disturb the neighbours and she would need it cared for, wfh should be no different.

I’d be a bit peeved too, depending on my mood. However, a lot of businesses have downsized their premises since Covid (we have) and WFH may be the only option the call handler has. It’s not ideal having the dog barking but it may have been something she could not control.

I absolutely hate being on a call with someone who is working from home. You can always tell that they are at home and they always sound like you are inconveniencing them.

@SmallGreatThings1

I've WFH and people have heard my children laughing in the background. No one has ever complained, they were all really pleasant about it. They've always asked questions and said it's great I'm able to WFH with small children. My work would NEVER question or revoke our WFH privileges for this. We are aloud to bring our kids and dogs to the office. People need to get a grip and realise people who work in customer service are not robots - as long as the job is done.

Well that’s the point really the job wasn’t getting done OP couldn’t hear for the barking dog and had to keep asking the person on the phone to repeat themselves

terrible customer service

Yes, the OP could have been on a lunch break at a work at work job and need to both make the call and have lunch in half an hour. She shouldn't have to repeat herself because someone doesn't want to pay a sitter.

Yet they are being paid to talk to you? 🤔

I had a call with a MH worker, and they were WFH. I could hear their kid in the background... which meant their kid could probably hear the worker's side of our conversation... which was about self harm.

Well in this case the job wasn't done - the barking dog got in the way...

A post came up on my memories the other day where I’d called about car insurance during the height of the pandemic and homeworking and the person on the other end of the phone was clearly having an orgasmic time, either by his own hand or with help. I’d waited so long to get through I was reluctant to hang up but he did in the end obviously to reach his crescendo. It was awful and made me feel so icky. The company had no record
of the call, oddly.

@alpenguin ugh that's vile behaviour!

That sort of thing was cute and funny for about a fortnight in the first lockdown, but most of us have moved on and just want a bit of professionalism.

I wouldn’t give it a 2nd thought purely because it was insurance related and they’re usually miserable jobs. If I was her I would have removed the dog for my own sanity 🤣 but you don’t know what else was going on in the house & maybe it was just a bad day for her. There are also some very over subscribed/full offices where it may not be possible to be in the office full time due to desk sharing.

And what do you think the dog is going to do with the information? People who handle sensitive date are allowed to WFH you know?