Call centre work, experiences.

[Skribble]

Other thread I am asking about working shifts but also interested in what it is actually like to work in a call centre.

It is inbound calls from people that have broken down (greenflag), no selling on extra policies (so they say). 60 staff in centre.

Funny I always said it would be the last thing I wanted to do, but I was thinking more of outbound sales calls.

Skribble, are you near Glasgow?

Many moons ago I worked at a call centre for a breakdown organisation, then moved into other areas within the same company. The actual breakdown calls were fine, didn't like dealing with people who were waitong for a while though!It was very straightforward. When I left the company as a manager we were really targeting people on call length and accuracy,(still call handling but different area) so although no sales was still pressurised. Working in the team was great, but be aware that everything will be timed...loo breaks the lot!! or at least that was my experience! hth

Ceolas yes near Glasgow

Manky, I recon it will still be presurred, she talked about call times and how many calls had to be handled.

I hope that I will actualy find it interesting enough to keep me going, I do other work where I take radio and phone calls and have to work out what info or help they need and deploy it, working with maps and different info so that doesn't worry me. Its just the whole call entre image I suppose, I don't want to turn into a droid.

Mine was near Glasgow too.
I think the battery hen image does come to mind, but in my experience that depends on your team and your boss and yourself. A lot of the time if busy, especially a breakdown service, the work is relentless, as soon as one call ends another is through. But what I found was in the quiet times you can talk too colleagues and have a laugh.
So may be worth trying to see what you think!

Skribble, if you're near Glasgow, consider NHS24 at Clydebank. Very good pay and conditions for call centre work. CAT me if you like

I think I will try to get something closer to home if I am going to go for any call centre work.

What kind of calls are you taking with the nhs24, I am not a nurse.

Sorry to explain I am 1hr from glasgow.

In my experience, although the place I worked was really friendly, there were so many goals and targets. We were timed on toilet breaks and our 15 minute breaks by a program on our computer. We were not allowed to be 'idle' (signed off the phone or in breaks) for over 35 mins per day excluding lunch, of course but with just 5 mins for toilet outside your 2 15min breaks was too much for me to handle! I go at least 3 times per shift! Our call length was a target of 3 minutes bearing in mind we had to look for what the customer wanted, gave them information, process the sales in that 3 minutes. All our stats were recorded too and if we weren't performing to the targets, then our team leaders would pull us up.

I did inbound stuff for BT fault repairs for on winter. Felt like a battery hen as the system is set up to watch every move you make, the boss would come looking if you spent more than 2 min going to the loo. If you've ever wondered why you wait to get through to a busy call centre and then get cut off straight away, it's to the poor s*d on the end of the line can make their 'call handling target' of 17 calls an hour or whatever and to achieve that they have to cut people off immediately. If they don't achieve it they're not allowed any overtime (and the contracted hours are deliberately short) so therefore can't pay the bills that month. I've also scrubbed chewing gum off urinals in an army barracks for a living and frankly, it was preferable. Made some good friends though.

Thanks for the info again.

I worked in a call center for 14 years before having children and leaving that type of work.
All i can say is that its hard work even though you are sitting at a desk all day.
You have to be able to talk non-stop (it seems) for 8hrs a day.
Loo breaks are timed, and if you take too long they even come and get you!
Everything you say or do is analysed in minute detail and you feel like a cog in a maching.
Years later i still get nightmares of being in a call center and basically its a feeling of being "pig in the middle" and having no chance of working on your own initiative.
C'ant you tell that i loved my job?
My work now is non-office based and have to use a lot of initiative.
Call center work is great shorterm, but don't try and do it for more than 5yrs as it can rot your brain .
AB