Sensee ? [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] company or not

B00na76

I have been employed for sensee for over a year now, I have watched people come and go and seen the effects and that toils that come with a job working from home.

There are lots of reasons why a lot of paper work and checks have to be made, when you start working for this company you are handling a lot of sensitive data and this includes financial transactions that people have made. All this company need to know is that your trustworthy. If there is not a background issue with fraud etc. then this should never become an issue.

My colleague has pointed out some issues i.e. hours booking and personal breaks etc. It is not like sitting in a room full of people where you can chat in between calls and ask advise. There are lots of negatives to this job but major plus's too. When I first started I absolutely hated it. I felt lonely isolated, your made to feel the pressure not just from the customers but the managers too. There were also a lot of very angry people you deal with on a daily basis and having to ask permission before you action something for them does make you feel a little insignificant. However this year the rules changed and for myself and a lot of agents the working processes are better. Although you still can not get up and make a cuppa when ever you fancy it and there is no one there to talk to other than on the live desk system I do need to make you aware this is a job. There for you are being paid for your time. As agents we are encouraged to let customers know you are part of a team but working from home, its down to each individual agents discretion where they work from.

I love the fact at the weekends and some evenings I sit on my shift in my pj's. I don't have to wear smart suits and can do the school run and not worry about how my hair looks today. There is a real sense of job satisfaction when you help out a customer that has been let down by any means. The perks far out weigh the negatives. Yes you need a seperate telephone line, pc and quite space. Yes you need to be dedicated and put in as many hours as you can but these range from 20 - 40+ you get to choose once you have been selected.

There are homeworking companies out there that are not as well run and disciplined as sensee. I have been turned around by my job once I accepted that this is a job, not a walk in the park. If I went to the job centre I would never find anything like this that I could fit in around my children whilst they are at school or in the evenings when they are in bed.

I love working for this company and if you wanted to start working from home and have good customer service and great patience then I would implore you to try it.

SENSEE ARE GENUINE.

Lastly I would like to point out there are going to be many opinions on working from home and perhaps for this company, we'll just tell you how it is for us, the only way to really find out if your happy with this is to try it.

I work part -time 25hrs per week I get paid just under £900 a month not bad for a little part time job that fits in around my family.

MSE_Investigator

Hi everyone

Sensee has asked to give a right of reply. MSE doesn't endorse anything a company says on the Forum.

""Hi there, I'm Iain, I work in the Recruitment team at Sensee. I made a post on this thread in October in reply to some of the concerns, uncertainties and myths that had been posted. Since then, there has been continued activity on this thread, and with further queries being raised, I wanted to take a moment to write a further reply and aim to answer those concerns and questions.

Firstly, I'd like to reiterate the fact that Sensee is not a 'scam'. I know that the type of homeworking Sensee provide (permanent employed with guaranteed hours) is a relatively new concept in the UK, and there are a lot of dubious companies out there offering work from home opportunities, so it makes sense that people will be cautious. Before joining the Recruitment team, I was a HomeAgent (Customer Service Advisor) for Sensee, so I myself have been through the recruitment process and worked as a HomeAgent, and so can understand the concerns and questions raised.

With regard to us having to see original documents rather than photocopies or scans - this is a requirement under Home Office guidelines in order for us to properly establish an employee's right to work in the UK. All documents are returned by Royal Mail Special Delivery. It is normal practice for an employer to want to view these documents, and you are welcome to bring them in person if you prefer, by making an appointment with our London office.

To answer the question on equipment - although you will need a computer and webcam for your webcam interview, you do not need to have any equipment in place until after you have been through the recruitment process and been issued a conditional offer of employment. You will then be scheduled for an 'IT Test' where we will remotely check to ensure your equipment meets our specifications.

I accept that the recruitment process is rigorous and thorough - we make no apologies for this. Our clients are among the biggest brands in the UK, and include financial services companies. We therefore take all necessary precautions to ensure the validity of applicants and to ensure we comply with the very highest standards of compliance and due diligence.

It is true that we won't take on people who currently work for certain other companies. This is to avoid any potential conflict of interest for us and our clients. We don't mind our colleagues working other jobs - we simply ask that they don't work for another business which offers a similar product or service to that of Sensee or our clients.

Weekly contracted hours are guaranteed, and HomeAgents have flexibility in the shifts they choose. Occasionally, HomeAgents will not always get their exact shift preference, however we do try to meet colleagues' preferences as much as possible. Whilst we offer flexibility, we do also require it in return, and hours can vary depending on customer and client requirements. Sensee management continually consults with all colleagues to ensure that the method of booking hours is fair, and to find out if other methods would be preferred.

Our hourly rate varies from £6.45 to £9.25 per hour, depending on role, client, experience, performance and other factors. Together with the time and money saved by not commuting, and the other benefits of homeworking, we feel we offer a fair and competitive rate of pay within the contact centre industry. Just like any contact centre environment, we will look at KPIs and work with our HomeAgents to help them excel. Our staff turnover is consistently lower than our clients' in-house, which we feel is contributed to by competitive rates of pay, good working conditions and a rigorous recruitment process.

We do have a lot of support for our HomeAgents - including 'Lead Agents' who will support colleagues with queries during their calls. This is not only a valuable and important point of support for our HomeAgents, but also a development route which can lead to progression.

Finally, I would like to respond to 'TP2014' regarding the post about the Telephone Charity Fundraiser position. I can't discuss your individual case here, but I would like to start by saying that Sensee are very proud of the fact we provide access to the workplace to those who may not otherwise be able to, whether that's for health reasons or those who live remotely. Our Recruitment and HR teams work closely with any HomeAgents who have identified a health condition or disability, to ensure that we are able to support them and make any necessary adjustments. We recently worked with a charity fundraising client, where our HomeAgents would make outbound calls and work to targets. This was a new and different type of client for us, having always concentrated solely on inbound customer service, and so there were some challenges. We have since taken the decision to end our relationship with this client. We did always make it extremely clear to all candidates applying for the Telephone Fundraiser role that the job is very target driven, and we ensured all candidates had sales/fundraising experience. The Recruitment process was rigorous for this role, however occasionally only experience can really determine if someone is suitable for the role, particularly where sales or targets are involved. We no longer work with any outbound or sales-targeted clients. TP2014 - I am sorry that things didn't work out. Please can I ask you to email me your details so that I can look into this for you? You can contact me at recruitment@sensee.co.uk

I hope I have answered your concerns here. There were a few posts about issues which I have answered in my previous response. Rather than repeating that here, please can I refer you to my previous post on this thread of 25-10-2013. We do understand that homeworking (and indeed contact centre work) isn't for everyone. We welcome your questions and we are always interested in how we can enhance our services. To find out more about us you can visit our website at www.sensee.co.uk"

antrobus

MSE_Andrea wrote: »

...In response to the comment about Sensee's £1.6 million debt -..

Err no, the comment was that Sensee appeared to be "insolvent to the tune of £1,684,880". Which it was at the 30th April 2012, since the public record was showing that the company had a 'net worth' of minus £1,684,880. And obviously Sensee's actual debt would be a lot more than that figure.

The good news is that as of the 30th April 2013 the company had a net worth of only minus £1,039,174. So clearly it made some kind of profit of £650k during the year.:)

http://companycheck.co.uk/company/05108057/SENSEE-LTD/financial-accounts#financials

antrobus

pelirocco wrote: »

not sure where you got your info from ....

The source is Companies House.

pelirocco wrote: »

..., but the credit checking company I use say they are low risk.whats the problem with their reg address ?

See post #5

gb12345 wrote: »

Would you want to work for a company that lies about its registered address and only lets you communicate with it via a web form? Or perhaps a company that hides its website registration details by pretending to be a non-trading individual?.....

Note that those comments are almost a year old. So Sensee may well have rectified these issues by now.

gb12345 wrote: »

...and what do you think the purpose of one is ...

The legal service of documents. All companies are required to have one. All companies are required to disclose it on their "business letters, orders and websites". - http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/tradingDisclosures.shtml

It's in the Companies (Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2008 if you're interested.

Randomguy_2

I joined just to post.

Sensee is real company, definately not a scam. I worked for them for x 2 years on the Aviva account and cannot recommend them unfortunately.

You will work but not get paid for 7 - 10 hours pcm free due to spurious deductions made by Sensee. Aviva and Sensee's software applications go haywire on a regular basis and every second of outage is deducted from your pay.

You are deducted 'breaks' despite the fact you are not allowed to take them.

They reguarly make payment errors in thier favour and never for yours
Sensee themselves will throw you under a bus to keep thier end client Aviva happy and do not go out to bat for advisers.

There is no flexibility whatsoever - Shifts are released and it's a free for all, if you work 35 hrs a week you will be working odd half hr shifts and random blocks from 8am - 8pm.

The structure is baffling with made up job titles for (mostly) little Hitler types who float around a virtual office called Live Desk and jump on you for saying one word out of place in a 3 page long 'sales script' - To be fair Aviva themselves change the rules every 3 minutes and after dealing with Aviva's offshore claims handling teams in Bangalore you would never, ever go to aviva for car insurance.

The work is itself veers between dull. soul destroying monotony and random abuse from Aviva customers who wil swear, hang up, rant at you.

You are recorded and listened into at all times and have weekly 1-2-1's where call recordings taken by an over zealous QA department are played back. You can and will fail for saying one word out of place and then fail the next week for doing it the other way around.

Sensee Home Working has a blame culture. Managers talk down to advisers and the barked order, one way demands start with the recruitment process. If you are thinking of applying, pay attention to the way internal rec speak and act towards you as it this is the management style for the whole organisation.

They say no sales but for Aviva force you to recommend products by reading a word for word sales script.

TYDU

I am trying to get with this company at the moment but have yet to pass admissions process.

They look bone fide to me.

Is anyone working for them at the moment to advise on how easy it is to pass the assessment?

makeyourdaddyproud

My daughter was going to try them out but after the above, I have convinced her not to. Many thanks for putting in the time to educate me about this organisation, quoting real experience.

Unfortunately, there will always be a strong temptation for any organisation seeking to employ people at the lowest possible cost, and Sensee, sadly, looks to be one of them.

jc1976_2

For those that have worked for Sensee, do you know why you cannot use a laptop?

Veri

Hi - I work for Sensee and would like to say that it is a very professional and friendly place to work. Yes it is hard work and some people may start and think homeworking is going to be a doodle and then realise it is harder than anticipated, but if you put the hard work in at the beginning through training and keep at it, it is a great employment option and also there is room to grow within the company.


I now have a job where I work from home and can choose (up to a point) my own working hours; so it is great for people who can't get out the house for whatever reason or have decided that working from home is the best option for them. The good thing is that you are employed by Sensee (not self employed) and receive a salary; might I add not a bad one for taking calls and helping people with queries, while being at home.


The application process is rigorous, but like any company they want the right people working for them, so their company is a success and we all who work for them keep our jobs.


So as the above post stated that you convinced your daughter not to apply for a role with Sensee from my point of view, from working for them, it is a shame, as she too may have enjoyed it. I personally am very happy I applied and that I found Sensee online while looking for a role working from home.


Hope that helps some of you if you are thinking about applying for a role with Sensee : ) I say go for it..

SamiBxo

Hello, I just wanted to put my 2 pence worth in.

I worked for Sensee for over a year and even went on maternity leave.
Unfortunately due to ill health, I had to leave.

I loved working for them and found for me they were helpful.

The telephone and webcam interview were very straight forward, like any other interview.

The training was really easy and I picked up quickly, but I have experience in the field anyway.

The only negative thing was the hours, I found week days were always booked up fast and weekends were always left, but I have to admit for me it wasn't a problem as my partner works nights and weekends so I could schedule my days off around his.
You could choose your hours to a degree. You had to be there bang on time to book them in otherwise you were left with a few hours here and there, which happened to me but it didn't both me.

I always had 40 hours allocated so I always got a full wage and did overtime here and here.

I managed to work there stress free throughout my pregnancy too.

I found the job a little laid back, no stress whatsoever and the team leaders were nice and you always got help when needed.

Some people said they felt isolated, but to be honest I was so busy, I never noticed.

Quiet periods were hard, especially at the start. I was the second group on an account and by Thursday, we had nothing to do... but as the months went by, we got busier and busier and never had time to stop and think, which I love.

I really am upset that I had to leave, but my health comes first.

Once I am back up and running, I will be applying again.

The pay was always on time, sometimes a day earlier which was a bonus.
They pay your tax and national insurance through paye which makes life much easier.
They are great if you are ill or need time off asap, especially if you are with a good set of people, shift swapping was always easy for me.
I also got holidays and maternity leave, so it's not like a rubbish company that don't do it all, it's very tight with laws and the hr department are fab! They were always asking me how I was getting on through the pregnancy and if I needed anything, it felt like they really cared. My team leader was th every week in 1 to 1 he would ask if I needed help or anything they could do to make it easier... I cheekily said give me more work

Basically, it is all dependant on if you could cope being on your own all day long and sometimes not being able to have the hours you want.

I don't have anything bad to say, I could see other people struggle with it but I really didn't.