Calling all call centre workers - advice needed!

work_to_live

scaredofdebt wrote: »

In my experience it gets easier as you gain confidence. After all, what's the worst they can do? Shout and make empty threats?

:T

It was worse when I worked in retail as a store manager and got threats of abuse from Neanderthals stood right in front of me.

But everyone deals with things differently of course.

There is no doubt that the OP will gain confidence as time goes by and the actual mechanics of the job will be like second nature but what im referring to is the negativity of customers. that will never change and not being able to speak your mind to them can become increasingly frustrating

Whiner

sosheadset wrote: »

Hi,

Recently, I got a job as a call centre rep at a bank. Having been stuck in retail for 6 years prior and feeling incredibly trapped, I was so so happy to finally have a job that could actually go somewhere. I've been told there's a great opportunity of progression and that once I've stayed there a year, I could go in pretty much whatever direction I want.

I have a financial degree and strong GCSEs and A-Levels.

I have no problems whatsoever with working my way up. However ...

I've only just started three weeks ago and I'm being trained to take calls. But I'm finding it difficult. It's mentally and emotionally tiring. I seem to get the meanest customers and I've already been reduced to tears on the phone twice.

What I would like is some advice from people who work in these types of call centres (banking and inbound). People at work tell me that it'll get easier. Is that true or are they just saying that because they feel they have to? Has anyone got any tips for me on how I can cope?

I know some people will tell me I should just look for another job, but I really, really want to make this work and progress onto something else. The last thing I want to do is quit.

Did anyone else feel like this when they first started? Does it get better? I've had a job as a receptionist before for a clinic and that was tons easier! I really didn't think I'd find the job this tough! Any comments and suggestions welcome.

Thank you xx

Well, I worked in call centres for 5 years, and I can tell you something for nothing - unless I was utterly desperate for work, I'd never do it again.

I don't think it gets easier, but you will get mentally tougher (you'll need to), and you'll get used to being rude back to the customers. As far as I was concerned, once they'd been rude to me without provocation, I was quite happy to be rude back.

As far as career progression is concerned in a call centre, forget it - unless you are exceptionally lucky, call centre jobs go nowhere.

Whiner

sosheadset wrote: »

I have the exact opposite problem. The management and my workmates are so so nice and everything's relaxed - not what I was expecting at all. Furthermore, we don't have to sell a thing. We are simply providing support for business telephone banking and yet, I've had so many difficult calls and rude customers. I was shocked. I didn't think they'd be that nasty since we're not even trying to sell them anything, we're simply trying to help them.

So, when they are rude, what you do is this: "Oi, hang on a minute, I'm trying to help you and you are just being rude. I'm treating you with respect, you treat me with respect please". Once you've shown that you won't take any krap, pretty much all of the time they will stop being rude.

Whiner

Which reminds me of a story when I used to work for a call centre in town, for a giant high street bank. Which Andy Crosby managed to almost make bankrupt, but thats another issue.

My very first day, and my very first call, was something like this:

Me: Hello, welcome to reallycrapbank, Cuthbert speaking, how can I help.

Customer: I SPOKE TO YOU LAST WEEK, AND YOU TOLD ME... AND NONE OF IT WAS TRUE...

Me: Well, considering this is the first call I have ever taken in this job, what you've just said is at the very least somewhat unlikely, and to be quite honest I doubt you've got a clue who you really did speak to, but nonetheless I'll try to help you anyway.

Customer: Um, er, ah... yeah, um.. well, um...



****************

So, to the OP, see it as a game... use your wording wisely, and see if you can make the rude customers feel really stupid. After a while, you'll be begging for a rude one, just to brighten up the day!

Whiner

Lec123 wrote: »

I did inbound for an insurance company for 2.5 years, then outbound at an energy company for a few months, which was the worst of the worst. As above the management were also pretty bad and the staff turnover was very high there.

People seem to develop a rudeness on the phone that far surpasses how they would probably be face to face. Hearing a timid, withered voice pick up the phone that would then turn in to a confident, rude, almost threatening tone once you said who you were was the type of call that used to rile me up the most.

Give it a few months to settle in. If people are rude try being overly polite. After being sworn at repeatedly in one call I told the bloke to have a fantastic night, which seemed to send him in to a rage. Was very satisfying. :-D

This is the other alternative to what I was saying. Being overly polite to people who are totally rude can work wonders. They obviously know what you are doing, but they can't prove it, so it makes them look such divs.

Whiner

work_to_live wrote: »

ive worked in a call centre for a bank for the last 5 years and in my experience it just gets worse as you become more and more frustrated and angry at customers. they never change. if anything customers have got worse over the years and there is a massive blame culture now and very few people take responsibility for their own actions. see my recent post about wanting out of this job. in my honest opinion, you should get out as quick as you can before you end up with depression and anxiety problems like me

Unfortunately, I completely agree.

pmduk

sosheadset wrote: »

Does it ever start to feel like second nature? The people who I work with make it look so easy.

Yes it does and just think of the variety you get. You never know what the next call might be! Just give it time before deciding it;s not for you.

sosheadset

scaredofdebt wrote: »

You do develop a thick skin and the quicker you get over a bad call and pick up the phone the easier it gets.

Concentrate on hitting your targets and especially what they prioritise as most important and you'll be fine.

A lot of people cannot hack or don't want to hack the type of job, it can easily be too demanding so stick at it. Attrition rates are typically 30% or more for call centres so they do value people who stick it out.

Yeah, I see some people who just shrug off a bad call and pick up the phone like it's no big deal. I cannot wait until I become like that. Like they say, it's nothing personal. But it's easier said than done.

I'm going to try and keep focused and just get on with it. I've spoken to a few more people today and they all assured me that it will get better. I just have to believe it when people tell me that.

sosheadset

dacouch wrote: »

I'm guessing you work for Santander

Lol, nope. HSBC.

A friend of mine used to work in a Santander call centre a year or so back and she hated the company and management.

I seem to be having the opposite issue. I love working for HSBC and my workmates are lovely. It's just the customers - well, some of them that I'm finding it difficult to deal with.

sosheadset

work_to_live wrote: »

ive worked in a call centre for a bank for the last 5 years and in my experience it just gets worse as you become more and more frustrated and angry at customers. they never change. if anything customers have got worse over the years and there is a massive blame culture now and very few people take responsibility for their own actions. see my recent post about wanting out of this job. in my honest opinion, you should get out as quick as you can before you end up with depression and anxiety problems like me

I definitely see where you're coming from and I'm sorry you had such problems and issue with your health as a result of your job. Unfortunately for me quitting isn't an option. I was stuck in retail for ages and it took me almost a year to get this job. At my old job, I was pretty much stuck. There was no room for progression whereas with this one there is so much potential. I just have to stick it out for a year and then I can apply internally to another job. The turnover at the call centre is high because people are getting promoted and applying for other jobs internally - this is what attracted me to the job in the first place. I just can't go back to retail.

I've felt like the biggest failure for the past few years. I left uni with a decent degree and couldn't find a single place to take me on. I applied for every job under the sun and finally got a position in another store. And even then, there were so many times where I cried thinking my life was going nowhere - especially when I saw that all of my former fellow uni graduates had all got exciting things going on and new jobs. Some had even moved abroad.

So now that I've finally got my foot IN the door, I'm determined to stick it out for a year and work my way up. I HAVE to because I don't want to waste this opportunity and I don't want to end up where I've been for the last two years.

I just have to believe it will get a little easier and that I'll leave that role before I become stressed and jaded.

Thank you for your reply. I hope things are better now for you x