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Need advice on taking a call center job

Old 09-13-2014, 07:17 AM
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Need advice on taking a call center job

Hi all. Just over a week sober. I need some advice about work - all input is welcome whether you've worked in a call center or not.

I've been unemployed for a year. It hasn't been easy. I just got an email from a connection I made a few months ago about a call center job for a national phone company. To be honest, their service is not all that great. I'd be dealing with a lot of angry people - this is almost a guarantee.

I have one thing going for me...I'm very patient and couldn't care less if people yell at me. I wouldn't take it personally.

I have a couple things going against me. I have a significant anxiety problem and I can't stand talking on the phone. Also, I don't have that much sober time.

I currently have enough money to float for around a month and a half, and there's potential to pick up more freelance contracts (I work on websites and promotional material). I also planned on starting an ebay business.

I'm not quite sure what to do right now. Clearly, I need money to survive and without a steady job, life is stressful. On the other hand, this job might turn me into a nervous wreck. Staying sober is absolutely my #1 priority. I'm not sure which is the best way to move forward.

Oh yeah - I almost forgot to mention that I have an outstanding phone bill with them for over $250 (from another province). I don't know whether they'd find out during the interview process, but if they did...well, it would be pretty embarrassing.
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:03 AM
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Career advice is tricky, so I'm not going there, but you are right to be concerned about the effect of your job choice on your sobriety. If you don't like talking on the phone, I would think long and hard, but everyone has bills to pay. Good luck.
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:22 AM
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Hi Avice - I was looking at job posting last night & noted the many postings for call centers...I think there is a reason for that I think it would be a really "high stress" job & that would not be the best thing for you. Just my thoughts. Be good to you!!
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:29 AM
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I tried working in a call center once. I went home for lunch on the first day and never went back! LOL.

A few years ago I moved to a new city and needed some extra cash, so I called around to local catering services and found three new jobs! I'm not even sure that I had to apply for two of them -- they just said show up here with black pants and a white shirt. It's not the greatest job, but it can be fast paced and social.

Good luck!
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:41 AM
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go for it
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Old 09-13-2014, 10:03 AM
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My understanding is that call centre jobs are high stress, but if you don't mind people being angry, you definitely have a good shot at it. You could always give it a try and see how it worked out. It could be something to add to your resume.
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Old 09-13-2014, 12:29 PM
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I have worked in call centers. You deal with some jerks but also some nice people. The pay is generally not great but decent and you may wind up getting pretty decent benefits. Some of the same things that apply to sobriety apply to a phone job; being mindful to control your emotions, being rational with yourself, keeping an even keel, etc.
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Old 09-13-2014, 12:32 PM
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Congratulations on your job offer - I would take the job and see how it goes
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Old 09-13-2014, 12:38 PM
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Hi - thanks for your advice, everyone. I decided to apply. The guy who requested my resume is actually the head of the dept. and he's very nice. I sent my first resume way back in May, and I think that a lot of students have gone back to school now so that's why they're looking for people. Point is - he remembered me, and he strikes me as a good person to have as a supervisor.

I know that the job is stressful, but poverty is stressful too. I've had to visit the food bank a few times since I moved to Ottawa. I've moved 3 times in 4 months (just trying to find a place where there aren't crack dealers on every corner). My front teeth are chipped and I can't afford to go to the dentist. I need new glasses. I have no winter boots. The list goes on.

I don't feel ready for this AT ALL, but I didn't feel like I was ready to stop drinking either and here I am.

The worst that can happen (assuming I get the job), is that I'm no good at it and get fired. I think I can handle that. Plus, I don't know whether the stress people experience is because of callers yelling at them. I couldn't care less. I know that they're yelling at the company - not me.

Inflagrante - what made you walk out? Just curious. I took your advice about catering on board, but there's one major problem with that. It's Ottawa, and you have to be bilingual to serve the public. Honestly, pretty much every person here speaks English, but the French issue is very complicated in this part of the country. That's why it's been so hard for me to find work here. Seriously, you can't even work at a Burger King unless you parlay Francay. C'est dommage.
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Old 09-13-2014, 12:39 PM
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Hi Avice - I personally would not take it unless they were also offering benefits and a career path. If you will get health care, time off, a career way path off the phones, etc then it may be worth it. If you are going to make a little over minimum wage at a dead end call center job, then I say don't do it. It is not worth it in the long run. If that is the case, then focus on something you enjoy though the pay may be sporadic.
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Old 09-13-2014, 12:46 PM
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FourSeasons - they offer quite a bit more than minimum wage, but no benefits. Career advancement? I have yet to find out. I have no university or college degree and I wouldn't expect to get 'all the perks' - especially with the economy being in this state.

Besides, I don't really care about anything but making music, and we all know how much musicians make...
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Old 09-13-2014, 12:47 PM
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If you don't like talking on the phone I would be very cautious about taking employment in a call centre. In the past I have worked in small, medium and large call centres, and they all have shared a few things in common.

Firstly, you talk on the phone all day long. Depending on how it's structured, during peak times you may not get a break between calls. As soon as one caller hangs up you get a beep in your headset and you are live with the next caller.

Call centres are highly managed environments with a heavy focus on call statistics such as number of calls taken, average talk time and how much time you place yourself on unavailable to do wrap up after a call. As such, breaks and lunch times may be timed down to the minute with it being an infraction to be even one minute late back from a break.

I also don't enjoy talking on the phone and don't like conflict, so although I was good at the job it was a nightmare that still makes me shudder over a decade later. It would be a dreaded last resort for me, and much of my career growth has been motivated by never wanting to have to go back into something like that again as long as I live.
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Old 09-13-2014, 01:02 PM
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I live in Boise, a city that has multiple call centers, and I worked at a Verizon call center for about 2 months. I won't lie, it was a very difficult job. Some people are able to do it successfully, but for me it wasn't a job I wanted long term. On the other hand, I know several people who have worked in call centers for years, love their job, and are good at it. Some things to know going in:

First of all, the most important thing, and one I wish I had known up front, just accepted, and moved on, is the training is usually horrible and useless. I was put out on the floor after 5 weeks of training, and I felt completely unprepared. But people were willing to help me, the person on the other end of the phone had no idea I was clueless, and by the end of the second day, I had a pretty good handle on how to deal with most issues.

Two, there will be people who yell at you, who are upset, who call you names, and who are just overall unpleasant to deal with. They suck. But the majority of your calls won't be people like that. Most of the calls I handled were perfectly nice people, who were happy to find a competent person on the other end of the line.

Three, it can be hard to "leave work at work". One of the things I noticed was that people who work at call centers tend to spend a lot of time outside of work with their coworkers, which is fine, but when all you do is talk about the calls you took at work and the jerk who demanded you give him a free (fill in the blank), the job kind of takes over your life. Self care is important no matter what your job, and very important to sobriety. If you can't leave what happened at work at the door, then you have to consider that a call center job has the potential to be damaging to your sobriety.

Four, it does pay pretty decently, and there are usually lots of opportunities for overtime, which can be great for someone who is trying to get back on their feet. I also found a fair amount of satisfaction in solving the problems that people called about. I viewed each one as a challenge, and derived a sense of satisfaction when I was able to successfully solve it.

If you are someone who doesn't take it personally when people are rude or mean to you over the phone, then you sound like someone who would be great at this. It is a high stress job, but lots of jobs are. I guess at the end of the day, if you go for it, and realize you don't like it, or that it's hurting your sobriety and not helping, you don't have to stay. And side note, I had a huge outstanding bill when I took the job with Verizon. It never came up, and was not a factor at all in their deciding to hire me. Best of luck with your decision! Whatever you decide to do, stay sober, and don't be afraid to put your sobriety first!
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Old 09-13-2014, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Avice View Post
FourSeasons - they offer quite a bit more than minimum wage, but no benefits. Career advancement? I have yet to find out. I have no university or college degree and I wouldn't expect to get 'all the perks' - especially with the economy being in this state.

Besides, I don't really care about anything but making music, and we all know how much musicians make...
Hey Avice! OK, then I say you should go for it. The one thing I ask is that you never say, while you employed as a call center service representative, "I am sorry for... X..." to the unhappy folks calling you on the phone.

Rather, as a consumer of many services that operate call-centers, I would much prefer to hear from a call center operator the following, "On behalf of 'Company Name', I am sorry you are experiencing 'X'.

I really dislike hearing innocent call center operators personally apologize for something that is totally not their fault and completely out of their control...

Maybe I am just venting because I am just coming out of a really bad Comcast experience...

I dunno... though I do believe call center operators should never personally apologize on behalf of their employers.

Enough said! I wish you much happiness, Avice!!! xoxo
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Old 09-13-2014, 02:42 PM
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I'd take it and see how it goes. If worse comes to worst you can always resign.

I worked at a call center many years ago for three weeks. I finally got a different job and was able to quit. It was too much stress for me.
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Old 09-13-2014, 02:49 PM
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Alchy 's think we cope with other people being angry, because we can cope with other people's anger by not getting angry back.

But that isn't really coping, it just means we "internalise "
Our anger, once we have internalised enough of it, it implodes inwardly, as opposed to exploding externally.

Imploded anger is emotionally very very painful and when alchys are in bad internal pain..... Well I think you catch my drift.

Be mindful of where your anger goes in early sobriety.
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Old 09-13-2014, 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by FourSeasons View Post
Maybe I am just venting because I am just coming out of a really bad Comcast experience...
Wondering if there is such a thing as a "really good Comcast experience."
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Old 09-13-2014, 07:19 PM
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Originally Posted by EndGameNYC View Post
Wondering if there is such a thing as a "really good Comcast experience."
LOL... No... there is not!!!... HAHA.... Thanks, EndGame for the smile!!!
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Old 09-13-2014, 08:58 PM
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I say it's worth a try! If it doesn't work out remember you were looking for a job when you took this one.
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Old 09-14-2014, 05:26 AM
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Originally Posted by Avice View Post
I know that the job is stressful, but poverty is stressful too..
I work in a call centre, but the bonus for me is I do it at home. Personally I find the job is only as stressful as I make it out to be.

I deal with whiny customers, having to meet ridiculous metrics, having to upsell to people that can't even afford the services they have now and the list goes on.

With that being said, I actually do like it. Even the people that yell and scream at me, pretty hard to get upset when I'm sitting in my yoga pants. At the end of the day these are just cell phones and I've come to the conclusion that the ones that get upset just want free service and free phones. The bonus is that as long as I have done all I can for them, I can pass them off to someone else because I don't have the authority to give you a free phone.

I don't get great pay, however, I don't have overhead either or have to travel. The most important part about this job I have found is you can't take what people say personally or get drawn into an argument. And you have to have patience. Sometimes I know that I am right, but at the end of the day I don't have to have the last word.

I'm not saying it is perfect everyday, some days these customers annoy me to no end and I have to really bit my tongue! The bonus for me is when I get a senior, god bless them, they always make my night!
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