Evening job in a call centre?

[ssd]

Does anyone do this? Does it fit in with the kids? What's the hours and the money like?

Thanks!!

I did it while I was on a career break. It's hard work, very pressurised (you're monitored on all sorts of things - length of calls, time off the phones, conversation flow, how many calls you take etc etc etc and on and on and on...)I worked 3 evenings, from 7-midnight, so it fitted in fine with the kids, and the pay was OK. I worked for a bank so we got other benefits as well (not many, I hasten to add!)
I'd say go for it, but be prepared to work for your money and take a lot of cr*p from customers. It's fine if you enjoy pressure and don't stress easily (unlike me ). Good luck!

Oh! I do get easily stressed, I've worked in retail for years and I thought I could cope with a call centre. But it sounds like a lot of work....Maybe Asda would be better for me!

my DH is an very patient and not easily stressed person - but after 6 months working in a call centre was nearly tearing his hair out (he did it just after we came to the UK while looking for a 'proper' job).

He swears that even if they payed him above the odds he wouldn't go back to that environment.

I'm totally put off it now!(didn't take much did it!)

I think I'll look forward to evenings in Asda or another supermarket, I just need sonething that lets me always be here for the kids but I still need to earn...

ssd - if you've been put off that easily I'd definitely look for something else

i work in a call centre and i honestly do not like it!but at the mo,we dotn hv the finances for me to go do my postgrad which is what ill need to do to get a 'proper' job!
but ive got myself a jobshare position with another colleague(another mum)and the pay's not too bad.
but just thinking of going back to that stress of -sales and targets or lose ur job- makes me feel like crying.

i am grateful i have the job for financial reasons,but just venting out what u need to go thru for that money!

I've worked in retail for years, so I can sell. Don't know about the pressurised environment though. Is it really bad?

Yes!!! I used to do it (8 years and the scars to prove it!)

The week I resigned I was hauled into the office and told that I had not met my targets for that quarter. It was not a pleasant interview. Luckily I had applied for another job and got the letter the day after that interview (it was wonderful going in to say "I'm off!)

i worked for Ticketmaster in their inbound call centre and although we had to meet targets and we were "tested" when a member of HR would call pretending to be a customer,it was good fun. we did have a few cranky customers, but if u can deal with that - go for it!

Is ther a big difference between inbound and outbound. Is outbound basicly sales. I keep getting customer care calls but they basiclly want to sell you something.

I fancy a more relaxed inbound job do they exist?

my jobs hilarious - if you go to a temp agency you can try a few out and see what you like. I work part time doing outgoing calls to existing customers who've forgotten to send us some documents usually. Totally stress free, no targets to meet at all, the people are all nice cos it's not cold calling, and I can quit whenever I want to. Only drawback, it pays £5.50 an hour

morocco, can you give us more info? Sounds good to me, what are the hours like?

Don't know if it's your cup of tea, but I have just started working as a home carer in the evenings and at weekends. It works our very well with Dh and the kids because I start at 8pm and do a few hours. Mostly the children are in bed by then and I still get to do everything with them in the day.

Depends on whether you would like that sort of work, though, It's not everyone's ideal! Pay is OK - it varies with the time of day, but averages about £6 an hour.

Gillian, is it mainly looking after the elderly?

I'm working part time 3 full days a week 12 - 8pm but it's fairly flexible really - you could ask around at a few agencies to see what kind of things they have going. I'm job sharing. Like you said, a lot of call centres need people to work evenings and you can specify to the agency that you don't want to do cold calling, and try out both incoming and outgoing to see which you prefer. I couldn't handle incoming I don't think - I need more time to think than that.

Ssd, mainly the elderly, but a lot of younger clients, sadly

There are a few clients in their 40s and 50s with MS and even a couple of children, teenagers and people in their 20s. It's a very varied job and I find it very rewarding.

I really hate that slur 'proper job'! Does that mean that all of us who do a full time lower paid job aren't working?

This is the snotty attitude that causes so many people to go to university to avoid work, graduate and then sign on the dole because they didn't get that dream 'graduate job'. Get real!!!

Gillian76, do you have any qualifications to do your job? I am thinking of doing some voluntary work to get some experience in caring, but I need a job now!! Is it through an agency?

By the way my last job was in a call centre selling insurance, I nearly got sacked while pregnant for not meeting targets. So so happy not to be there.

I worked 3 evenings a week in a banking call centre when I was on a career break. It made me realise 2 things - 1. I'm far too sensitive for my own good and 2.Intelligent Finance is really not a bank to trust with your money.

If you are able to work in a pressurised environment, if you can switch off from work when you switch off your PC, if you don't let abusive customers get you down and if you are OK with repititive work then go for it