Are there disadvantages to working in a call center?

[Maria_maria]

"What about call centers? Do you want to work in a call center?"

Never before had I seen so many people giddy with the thought of working in a call center. Yup, the Philippines' sunshine industry -- no doubt we treat it with the same reverence that Taiwan did the microchip in in the 80s -- has got every one brimming with excitement over the promise of "easy money."

Over the last years, the call center industry has given more Filipinos jobs, given workers more disposable income and purchasing power, and provided the Philippines with a 24-hour economy.

For those who are outside looking in, in must be great to work in a call center. You take calls, get paid, and you don't need to take work home. Sound easy? I think not. Perhaps it's time to look inside the Philippines' sunshine industry from those who know it first hand.

I'd like to open for discussion this question for our call center agents on EC: What are the disadvantages of working in a call center?

[tangkaruray]

Why I never survived working in callcenters:

1. Shifting schedule.
Working on a graveyard shift is bad enough.
(It's a lonely schedule to be in. Sometimes, proper time management just won't do the trick. Promiscuity among callcenter agents is a growing concern. In fact, there have been cases of callcenter "Romeos" in India who have infected other callcenter reps with HIV.)
Working on weekends is even worse. (You're lucky if your day off falls on a weekend)
Having a split-rest-day schedule is the worst of all.

e.g. I was once assigned a shift in which the rest days were separated from each other, i.e. Wednesday and Friday. The rest of the week, I work. This set up did not work for me. It was hard for me to go to work on Thursdays that time. Besides, imagine what this klnd of schedule can do to one's sleeping cycles. Typically, the first rest day is when you supposedly catch up on your sleeping at night. Given that I have to work Thursdays, knowing when or when not to sleep became a dilemma.

2. Limited CR break
If you think that jeepney or taxi drivers are the ones having problems with their gallstones, think again. One company I worked even went as far as requiring their agents to ask for permission before going on a cr break. Believe me, most of those requests are usually denied.

3. Terrible airconditioning
Thanks to centralized airconditioning, I can barely type using my frozen fingers. (Take note that there's a need for us to "multi-task".)

4. Meeting stats
Not meeting the stats is tantamount to losing the job. Where I came from, 17 agents we're "transferred" to a different account for not meeting the required stats or metrics. Most of these agents who were "redirected" were, in fact, seasoned agents who've spent years in the said account.

5. False and/or empty promises
Of course, it is true that it is easy for others to move up (that is if you survived months of taking calls and meeting the stats long enough). However, more often than not, it all boils downs to the fact that the company just needs people who will take those calls.

6. Stress
It is true that stress is not uncommon in the workplace. However, imagine having to take an average of 60 calls a day receiving complaints and meeting impossible demands from irate customers. Oh, and do not forget that there are callers who would ask where they're calling from. Some people can be tolerant and can even be friendly with you, but inevitably, you will encounter those who will drop the call rightaway or bring you down with sarcastic remarks.


Please don't get me wrong on all these. These are all from personal experience. I have much respect and admiration for people working in the industry.

[Maria_maria]

2. Limited CR break
If you think that jeepney or taxi drivers are the ones having problems with their gallstones, think again. One company I worked even went as far as requiring their agents to ask for permission before going on a cr break. Believe me, most of those requests are usually denied.



Yikes! I never could have imagined! :eek1:

[tangkaruray]

I just hope they've changed the policy. It's unhealthy for the agents and it only shows how much Filipinos distrust each other (I don't think our counterparts in other countries have this kind of policy). ^^

[Maria_maria]

I agree with the trust issue. Sometimes, when you make a request, you get the feeling that the boss or supervisor actually thinks you're trying to pull one up on them. It's terrible.

[kathz]

i've been in the call center industry for almost 3 years now. and i'm still enjoying it. these are the things you have to withstand to stay in this industry and some tips that may help you in case you're interested to work in this industry...

A) SCHEDULE
it is true that we have a shifting schedule but how your sched sucks depends on your account, your employer and your stats. so far i haven't had much trouble with my scheds. i always get the schedule
that i want and the secret to that is the team's stats. the team just have to meet the metrics and for sure you'll get the schedule you want.

B) BIOBREAKS or WASHROOM BREAKS
For most accounts there is a limit of 10-15mins a day of biobreak and you'll also have to call your Service Assurance (SA) or Inbound Phone Operations (IPO) if they'll let you take your biobreak. This is for those who are working for a financial account or customer service agents. And for some employers. if you exceed the biobreak for the day they will deduct if from your salary (this is true from my previous employer who's a foreigner. clue: 56 hehe!) But for the new account i've handled they'd let us take a biobreak as long as you don't have a call but if they noticed that you always go on biobreak and it takes you sooooo long to go back from your biobreak they may not allow you to go on biobreak that often. coz whether we admit it or not some agents abuse these privileges.

C) AIRCONDITIONING
Yes the airconditioning on the "Floor" (that's how we refer on the area where we take calls or where we actually work). If the airconditioning is too cold for you, you just have to call your Service Assurance (SA) or Inbound Phone Operations (IPO) so that they can call the administration department. Then the administration department can then adjust the aircon's temperature.

D) MEETING STATS
Customer Service Agents & Telemarketers usually have more metrics compared to other agents. The metrics that has to be met depends on your account. But one thing is certain, the account gives incentives which includes monetary incentives to help motivate agents to perform better and meet their stats.

E) FALSE and/or EMPTY PROMISES
Just like any other company there are some promises that they do not keep. Based on the Philippine Labor Code an employed person would be regularized after 6months of working for a certain company. But for my previous employer they did not regularize us after 6 months of working for them. Since we had a training bond for a year my batchmates and i were forced to stay. Later on, we enjoyed the account and there were other perks & incentives from the account we were working for so we decided to just stay even though we won't be regularized by our employer. After working for 15 months our employer promised to regularize agents who have worked for them for 12 months and up by september 2007. And they didn't they waited for most of their agents to resign & they just gave the regularization to agents who were either dumb enough to stay and worked for that kind of company or they just needed the money that's why they had to stay even under such circumstances


F) STRESS
For whatever work you have you may get stress. It just depends on how you deal with it. Personally what i do during my off, i make sure to get enough rest & i also go out with my friends at least once a month. We either dine in a fancy restaurant or in a bar or we go to a movie house

[tangkaruray]

I couldn't help but remember that talk I had with my team leader on the day I declared my resignation. ^^

It's about time the others see the other side of the coin.

[kathz]

I couldn't help but remember that talk I had with my team leader on the day I declared my resignation. ^^

It's about time the others see the other side of the coin.
haha but i forgot to add the biggest hassle in working in a call center! it's your superiors! hehe!

[ayame5987vhi]

I have been in the call center industry for more than 2years now,im working for sales.

I must admit that this industry gives us undergrads the opportunity to earn money and support our family, but it also made me forget going back to school since i'm already earning, and I even get bigger salary than other people who have finished their degrees. Education is still very important, and this industry contradicts to that fact.

I work in graveyard shift, (11pm to 8am).. and I sleep during the day. My body clock is already used to this time. So even on my day offs, I get sleepy during the day, and can't sleep at night.. weird..

Health Disadvantages:
Bad for the eyes - 8hours of work in front of a computer stressed my eyes.
Bad for the lungs - i can say almost 90+% of call center people smoke.. it's a way to relieve stress at some point
Bad for the bladder- biobreaks come every 2 and a half hour, and I drink alot of water. Go figure.
Bad for the liver - after the last day of the shift, it always calls for a celebration.. let's drink to that..
Bad for the throat - i teach voice lessons as a part time, and one way of taking care of the vocal cords is to shut up! minimize talking, yelling, and stressing the vocal cords in any way! continious talking stresses the vocal cords and may cause sore throat..

But all in all, it's fun.. and you gain confidence by talking to foreign people over the phone..

[Maria_maria]

Ah... it's a career for the young and healthy! heehee...

[bytesgirl]

Ah... it's a career for the young and healthy! heehee...

i don't think so... its a career for all types of people, i tell you... yound and old... healthy and hmmm, let say not that healthy (well, in the first place, i dont think any industry will accept unhealthy employee, right??)...

also, i think that the disadvantages that mentioned here can be found in other industry as well.. it is how you will handle it and survive in the end... i have been in and out of this industry... but i always find it so challenging to come back after i have tried to shift or work in another field