Fed up of shitty work practices!

[Silversurfer34]

I'm in a call centre role, looking to leave soon because of constant big brother monitoring.

So first they were sending out everyone's KPIs as a list for everyone to see, but that stopped so they must have got a complaint.

They've now introduced a new system where there are live updates and 'scoreboard' showing which call agents are doing the best, who's at the bottom and so on.
It also shows things like who logged on first, who was back from break/lunch first even though we're entitled to our full time?

It's supposed to 'encourage friendly and healthy competition' between staff, honestly fed up of being treated like a performing seal. I am applying for other jobs which is a shame as I've only been here 4 months, but the constant monitoring does my head in.

You get told off if you're out of adherence and go on your break late, but if your lunch is for 1pm you have to take calls until 12:59, what if the phone rings at 12:59 and it's a complex one? You can't say to the caller, right sorry I'll have to stop you there I'm late for lunch, bye.

I'm upset, you get nothing in this role, it's about £1.50 an hour over min wage which I know is more than some jobs get but it's hardly a decent salary in this day and age.
Including breaks we're here for 42.5 hours a week.

I'm fed up of just being a 'lowly' junior admin employee..hope i get something better soon.

Sounds like every call centre in the last 25 years or so. Nothing new there.

I'm guessing you're young and new to the work force then? Work your way up, everyone has to start somewhere.

I used to work in a retail role where they published certain stats and goaded people to compete. We were often smashing it. I thought the way they behaved, then and now even that I left that role years ago, was terrible. Why can’t OP be doing okay according to the stats but still feel discomfort about them? They can be adding an unwarranted pressure. Commending people for taking shorter lunches that their allotted time isn’t acceptable at all, it’s a classic tactic to squeeze people for their own time.

G-d who gives a shit?
I would be making it my mission to be at the bottom every week. What are they going to do?
If the phone rings at 12.59 and it’s complex
call just go on your break afterwards. If you get told off just say yeah Ok sorry I won’t do it again and then do it again if you need to.
You would not believe the amount of piss people are taking out here. Like people are getting away with absolute murder and you’re worried about being monitored for calls taken? Let them monitor you!! Good luck to them. Don’t play the game.
You sound smart and conscientious, go where those skills will be appreciated. Meanwhile two fingers up to their bloody score boards.

Then you are in the wrong job. If you don't want to compete and earn bonuses that way, then you need to deliver more value through specialist skills.
What skills do you have for jobs that need a more consultative process.

£1.50 over minimum wage isn't bad as a starting salary. What can you do to justify more?

42.5 hours is just 9-5.30, or normal business hours. That is literally every job I have had, except the ones where I was expected to travel Sunday afternoon and Friday evening (but got paid considerably more for doing so).

One of my first jons was at a call centre. One day I went to the loo on my break and as I was drying my hands with a paper towel a stone from my new engagement ring fell into the bin! Cue me frantically emptying all the wet paper towels to find it. My supervisor at the time was impressed with the story and said they hadn't had that excuse before, but my statistics took a dive.
I found it an interesting role taking the calls for Adult Social Care including Safeguarding and requests to section people. When I got my first SW Assistant job I felt a lot more freedom - toilet breaks not timed!! Good luck OP

It sounds bloody awful

Sounds absolutely awful, OP. I hope you find something else quickly.

As an aside, @Anicemorningyou’re coming across as absolutely mental. Are you on strong painkillers for your ankle?

Yeah I had a call centre job back in the day. It was shit. But nothing new I'm afraid, they are all like that.

Look to leave asap. This is not a healthy work environment and is completely toxic, there is better out there! Life is too short for this nonsense. I bet the managers are inexperienced

So what’s your plan? You sound smart. Focus on getting a good reference and getting out ASAP.

It’s pretty similar in most call centres
our breaks and lunch times are monitored as well as logging on/off
the odd competition/incentive but you can say you don’t want to join in (I never do)

I can browse MN or read if it’s quiet between calls

I know people say it's nothing new, but im thinking why haven't times changed?

We aren't allowed to use our phones in between calls., but I can look at the news online. However we are encouraged to browse the intranet to boost our knowledge on calls..

I'm not new to work or starting out but I can see this won't be for me, I haven't got a bonus despite apparently doing well according to my manager.
Fair enough some people will love this sort of environment.

I don’t know. It’s been the same for a long time, I started in a call centre about 24 years ago
I’ve worked in 3 and they’re all much the same with breaks/lunches/stupid rules

Sounds awful OP. Not a role I would want to work in.

It is not the best way to get results.

This is in government too so not some little start up

Thanks for all the replies!

I once worked somewhere where the leader would walk around with a bell and ring it on your face if she didn’t think you were answering calls fast enough.

Competing to not have as much lunch break as you are allowed isn’t normal. That isn’t about being in the wrong job. They can compete for sales through phone calls, that’s normal. But not who can take as little a legal break as possible, that’s just poor management and when we allow that sort of behaviour we allow companies to treat staff like shit. Don’t fall for it. It’s not ‘hustling’, it’s poor treatment of (usually) minimum wage staff.

I think most unskilled jobs are monitored as much as systems allow. I stack shelves in a supermarket, there's a system that works out how many hours the workload for each night should take, we have pick rate targets for online orders picking etc.

We weren't allowed to browse anything/read etc in the call centre I worked in. Mobiles had to be switched off. Though it was usually a constant stream of calls tbh

Thing is customers hate call centres too because they invariably can't get stuff sorted out. So all of this scoreboard bullshit isn't even useful. What a monumental waste of everyone's energy - setting up jobs that are shitty for workers and useless for customers.

It's just life I guess isn't it, I'll just look for something less monitored..

OP I forgot to say it gave me a lot of transferable skills and a really good knowledge of the services offered by the LA and navigate well around the Adult Social Care system which still benefits me now. Good luck

It's absolutely shit OP, you have my full sympathy. I worked in call centres throughout university and it was pretty much exactly as you described. Horrendous. The final straw for me was when we were told we had to put our hands up to ask to go to the toilet. I left shortly after - I didn't tell anyone, just decided one day not to go back because of the appalling way staff were treated. It's such a weird environment where grown adults are treated like naughty children!

Keep applying for jobs OP and fingers crossed you can find something else!

I agree the gamification of work is shit. Even in back office roles if they pitch people against each other (e.g. cases processed leaderboards) is that really motivating or is it just about scaring people to not be at the bottom?
and it drives poor quality because people rush over doing things properly.
a well trained call centre rep who has the power to do stuff and sort problems is much more beneficial for the customer and the individual as they feel they are actually adding value and not just meeting numbers on a board.
I think corporate standards around this are rubbish, because there’s always managers trying to cut the bottom line rather than invest in staff and improve customer service.

Back in the Stone Age mobile phones were still not a thing and they blocked the internet.

Sadly I worked the late shift and the call volume was slower. My favorite pastimes were; reading the newspaper cover to cover and doing the daily crossword, chatting with other bored coworkers, practicing my 10-key skills, and drawing still lifes in MS Paint.

I’m very curious why a good number of people are surprised by call center work… it hasn’t changed since at least the late 90’s! Does nobody google working conditions or talk to other people who have worked in the same job type?