Unrealistic goals applied to all staff, minimal training that focuses on less essential things; "get on the floor" and have to learn MANY things on your own unless you are fortunate enough to have one of the rare amazing coaches or make a friend who has been there awhile to help you get to where you feel like your able to keep your head above water. My campaign was inbound collections for an American large communications company; had the majority of calls being angry or frustrated people who were uphold into plans they cannot afford or do not want and were not fully informed of what they were getting into. Support from the "support team" is near non-existent or when you would eventually get a response (after waiting 5 minutes; yet get scolded for having a customer on hold beyond 2 minutes) it was very sarcastic and demeaning. After a call or interaction with a customer you must log all the notes of the call in detail (they expect you to do this while on the call but you must multitask through several programs for a single call) these notes you must log they again expect you to summarize thoroughly in under 2 minutes yet if you're a competent agent, customers will have you tackle multiple concerns within a single interaction. You must be thorough recording notes and needs but they also expect you to be able to do it in under 2 min of call ending (so they expect you to be able to run multiple programs, listen thoroughly to customer, address all needs and complaints of customer and resolve them, de-escalate irate callers, be able to offer plan changes, billing changes or any and everything the caller wants, write all the details WHILE you're listening, explaining and maneuvering programs....
You must hound "coaches" to get them to teach you what you need to be confident and capable at the job yet by no means does that mean it'll make it a tolerable job at that point even if you are very experienced. Many reps you'll be "working with" do the least possible amount of work they can so will transfer to wrong departments, give you bad or incorrect info, give poor if any support.... and it's a "do as I say, not as I do" job.... busy days you would think at least pass fast but think of taking back-to-back irate calls and time feels like it is moving slower than reality (1 hour feels like 2 or more, busy day or slow.) slow days at least maybe you can read a page or two of a book if you've brought one but expect to be interrupted at the best parts (but you had better bring something to pass the time as not allowed on facebook or any non-work sites or a phone or electronic game platform...) If anyone grows up and says "I want to be a call centre agent" or if a parent or spouse forces someone to work there; tell them they should work there before making anyone else suffer that fate or thinking they want to make that their "career" actually try it first.... and if someone DOES say great things about it; odds are they work there and are trying to get a "referral bonus" by getting others to work there OR are one of the REALLY lucky ones who have a GREAT coach who helps and supports them and treats them like a human being not a faceless drone. Also if you suffer mental health issues or disabilities of any kind; you must fight for your basic human rights for "duty to accommodate"
