Any one work in HSBC call centre

cat200

hi anyone who reads or replies to this, im currently wokring for a big hotel brand which i have worked for, for 5 years on a 24 hour contract but always got extra shifts here and there, untill a few months ago i was put up to 40 hours but i didnt sign a contract for this and have a maternity leave comeing back so im havening to go back down to 24 hours which i couldnt live off, i have a friend who works in hsbc bank call centre and said to apply there but i want to know what are they like to work for as im scared of quiting this job only to be sacked if i get the job, is it all about sales as i dont want my career to hinge on if i get enough sales or not, is it a company i could work there for rest of my working career, job opportunities, do they often downsize. i dont want to leave my job as its best i had but i cant live off a 24 hour contract but i got this job for rest of my life and dont want to give it up for nuthing and regret it later.

~Beanie~

Surely your friend would be the obvious person to ask?

I would imagine that there are different departments or teams within the call centre and the amount of selling that you would be expected to do would depend on which team you worked in.

cat200

i have asked but I would like to get other people opinon so I can make an imformed decision

[Deleted User]

No job is secure, you get a least 6 months to learn the ropes! will the friend be getting a pay out for friends referral, hmmm, oh allegedly there is no heavy sales now under the FCA...

Open-mind, master the 'Survival on the Moon' quiz and the like, you'll be alright!

Remember the worst thing we can do is not try? ask yourself what is the worst that can happen, well you can turn down the offer once you've looked everything over and gone for the assessment to find out if it is your bag, equally this could make you, good luck, go for it, if potentially better then what you find yourself lumbered with x

Lets_say

Will you not still be offered extra shifts over your 24 hours like before?

Otherwise, is it possible to find another part time job, although I appreciate that may be difficult with probable non fixed hours with the hotel job.

I worked in hotels when I was young and enjoyed it, I moved into a bank call centre at age 30, simply for the benefits it offered, eventually after many changes I hated it, and was glad to get voluntary redundancy after 17 years.

A lot depends on what the culture is like. For example, I did a couple of months temp work in a call centre for a company contracted to a building society, they asked me to stay, NO WAY, such a lot of lazy people. On the other hand, I did a six month contract in a domestic appliance claim call centre, which was hard work but enjoyable and the best group of people I have ever worked with.

cat200

yer thats one of the biggest choices to make is if i would like working there or not, as even though i have to deal with alot of stress and guests in the hotel im still the happiest in a job ive ever been.

what are call centres like to work for?, i worked for 2 weeks in a factory when i was 17 and quit after 2 weeks because it was so tedius but ive grown up since then and havent been out of work since. i joined army but had to come out due to injury which i loved apart from missing home. then worked in asda cafe for alittle while which i was misserable in as was nil hour contract and terrible work life even though one of my best friends worked there. and joined this hotel,which ive put alot of hard work into

even if my friend did get a pay out for referal it wouldnt bother me at all, i just want a good career i can make a go at, but at same time have a sence of security like i do now.

i could get extra shift covering holidays and sick pay but i wont know what im working week to week and will have to get everything i can, i done that for last few years but with not much commitments, now i have a Girlfriend who im looking to move in with and dont want to ruin it like i have in past few years becuase my socil life revolved around me having to pick up all shifts i could.

im good at my job and could see me here for rest of my life but, right now im at a crossroad in which direction to take, do i go with the uncertanty of a job with better pay, but less sence of security or job happieness or go with the job i love but have to scrimp and save to get all hours i can untill a vacancy goes up which is quite rare.

i may not make sence to much people but i want to get a better under standing of 1. working in a call centre. 2. what are hsbc like to work for. 3. if they have, are job opportunites good. 4. would they consider it a job for life 5. even under new fca rules is it just about selling

honey10

Call centres are an acquired taste. I love them, but they are very regimented as to breaks, lunch etc etc. You will have targets, even in a non sales role.

symphonies

Hi.

I've been working in a HSBC call/commercial centre for over a year and a half now. It was hard going at first, getting used to the systems, talking to customers over the phone (I have a retail background - so mainly face to face interaction), ect but ater a few months or so, it did start to get easier. Like Honey10 above says, it is regimented. You have your breaks and lunch at certain times and you need to go into certain codes to take these.

For me, personally, it's the people that make the job. I've been very fortunate to wind up with a good team and a lovely, lovely team manager. And there's always someone to chat with and have a laugh with between calls. We are paid to take calls, so when it's quiet and nobody's ringing through we can just sit around and chat.

I think it also depends on what site you end up in. Each site may operate differently - it might also depend on what the site managers are like. Where I am, there are always fun competitions and incentives to do. We also get a lot of little freebies and when it's really, really busy, they tend to come around and hand out little chocolates and drinks to everyone. It's a nice, thoughtful touch! They also tend to organise day out trips to places like London and theme parks. And the Christmas party they threw last year was absolutely amazing!

As far as sales go - we have none! It used to be very sales driven back in the day or so I'm told but things have changed. We only concentrate on customer satisfaction and keeping our call handling time down so we can solve the customer's query as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Even though I found it hard to adjust at first, I have no regrets. Joining the bank and leaving retail (I felt trapped where I used to work) has been the best decision I've ever made. Also there are plenty of opportunities to work your way up. There is a high turnover rate where I work and that's due to people progressing up through the ranks rather than leaving the bank completely. You also get a yearly bonus and a pay rise.

May I ask what type of work you did at the hotel? Was it really active? I spent years on my feet, hanlding stock deliveries, chasing after customers on the shop floor ... So compared to that, this job is really cushy as you just sit there at a desk. After being so active at my old job, I ended up gaining a stone after joining the bank! I managed to lose it after joining a gym though.

There's plently of opportunity to do overtime each week. You just need to let your manager know so they can add you on to the roster to do it. You also have get decent staff rates on products such as credit cards and loans.

I was in a bad place before. My pay was peanuts and I felt like I was in a dead end job. I got all the way to supervisor in my last job but the store manager wasn't budging from her role and they wouldn't let me go to head office to work. Without this job, I wouldn't have a decent amount of savings or even think about getting a place of my own not to mention, finally do things I've always wanted to do like study with the OU and travel.

Sorry about babbling on. Let me answer your main questions as clearly as I can.

1. working in a call centre. 2. what are hsbc like to work for. 3. if they have, are job opportunites good. 4. would they consider it a job for life 5. even under new fca rules is it just about selling

1. Like others have said, it's an acquired taste. I didn't like it when I first started but you get used to it.

2. The site where I am, they're fun to work for and treat their employees good.

3. Lots of opportunities to progress. They mainly advertise internally. My place has a high turnover rate as people are always moving up.

4. Job for life? Not really. I am planning on moving to another position within. Staying with the bank for life? Definitely.

5. It used to be but not anymore. Our main targets are customer satisfaction and keeping our call times down but this is maninly because we want to solve the customer's query as quickly as possible so they're not kept hanging on the phone.

Any other questions let me know. Or PM me.