I'm closing my fourth month working in the hellish open space woaouu and let me tell you I already paid the price with my health... I'm currently on a sick leave for a couple of days and let me tell you I might find out I got fired once I'm back and at this point it might be the best thing to ever happen to me! Either way I am trying to get the hell out and fast! No amount of hopeless case status deserves to putting up with this... I gotta say though your video was like therapy to me because I felt heard and understood. Cheers mate. To those considering a position in a call centre and who still have a reasonable amount of self-preservation: do not and I repeat do not ! Under no circumstances should you go directly into the mouth of the beast. Know that you will be walking in with your soul at stake. No kidding. Call centres are the closest thing modernity has crafted to demonic harvesting facilities. Lately I've been remembering all the lies I've been told during the interview but it was my first one out of college and I sure got played good, lesson learned! Sometimes I'd think it's because I have psycho supervisors or that chain smoker manager we have but it's definitely the same hell with different extras at every places. Either way let me join the choir that's playing in hopes to avoid calamity to future souls: R U N
That's what I've been saying!!! Like...I say this to anyone that will listen, people do not deserve a live call and no one should have to sit through all of this everyday for months on end.
This guy is literally saving peoples lives. Those that watch these videos and decide against these type of jobs will save years of liver abuse, constant anxiety and deep depression.
One of my best choices was to quit that job. My boss used to tell me and my team that we have to act like therapists towards the costumers "because they bother you about something but behind that there's something else" Honey, if you want me to be a fucking therapist pay me like one.
I had a college professor who worked at a call center for a while. He said it was the most dehumanizing job he ever had. He was supposed to read from a script on these calls and would close his eyes and try to recite as much as he could without looking just to keep himself entertained.
yes you are basically saying a script. when the customer replies back something new you have no clue on what to say because you thought the script was enought.
@@camilovivasve hahahah I laughed at your comment, cuz it's true! You say everything on the script, you think you did great, customer replies or asks sth that you don't know how to answer and try to find a script, but there are no scripts for every situation, you just have to improvise... Sometimes you doubt and stutter, but if you are a quick thinker you say sth with confidence even though you don't know it is true... Nervousness and anxiety in those moments! I don't know if I should laugh or creo xD :(
I worked at a Verizon Call Center and this was spot on. It actually was really detrimental to my health. I was in collections. It drove me to the psych ward. The hospital said they get lots of call center employees. My roommate at the hospital worked collections at AT&T 🤣
28 years at 411. Bell Atlantic then Verizon. Shooting for 30. Working at home since Covid is a dream. Good pay, pension, 5 weeks + vacay. Thank God for the union. We need more of them in this country. I've seen many operators retire from Bell and Verizon with enhanced packages, early retirement, or serving out their 25 or 30 years. Medical benefits are great also. Not saying it isn't a difficult job and environment. But it's hard to find pay and benefits like that these days.
I hate my call center job. I try to be the best I can be on the call but people are so rude and compare that with terrible management with no accountability... it’s HELL! I’ve never been clinically diagnosed with depression but I swear I’m the most depressed I’ve ever been working in the call center. It takes all of my strength to do this everyday. I deserve better and will be quitting this job due to it affecting my daily quality of life. It is not worth it.
Having a call center job will make you hate humanity! I’ve been at mine for 16 yrs and it is HELL! Everything you’ve said is right on point! We have a stat where if a cust calls back in 7 days it counts against us... like wtf?! They dropped the Apple Watch activation on us without training us on how to do it. That was a nightmare .. I could go on and on. Don’t get me started on customers who hate their own lives and want to call and take it out on you. I will tell whoever is thinking about a call center job ... RUN! Know your worth.
PTPOP Yes, I started with the original AT&T wireless before the merger when Cingular bought AT&T. Back in 2002 before cell phones were what they are now it wasn’t bad at all. It was fun actually. We only had like 3 stats that were easy to maintain. When Cingular took over everything went to shit. They are psycho, seriously! I’ve stayed bc the benefits are good, I have tenure and get a lot of paid vacation and can get any shift I want but for the last 3 yrs it’s gone from bad to worse. I’m just holding out until I’m done with my masters degree.
PTPOP Oh and we have a union but they are worthless! I was a member for years but withdrew my membership after I realized that things weren’t getting better.
I use to work for GTE Wireless call center in Ohio. We had Ohio, Indian and Erie Pa. that was in 1994 to 97. It was fun back then. I had all kinds of friends in the call center. Then they merged with Alltel then they closed the call center. after that Verizon bought them.
Everything he said is true. Working in a call center sucks! Most of your calls are from stupid people cussing you out all day because of mistakes they made! I cannot believe anyone who says that they actually like working in call centers. Working in a call center is Hell on Earth!
May i ask how's life going for you after that? Im more than a month in and im already having doubt about this industry. Something Just doesnt feel right.
I did this crap for the better part of a decade. This dude is dropping 100% fact. I hated my life in a call center, and even remote call center work soured working from home for me. Glad I finally got out, but it left some huge mental scars. I'm _still_ afraid to take time off of work for fear of managerial reprisal (my current supervisory team where I work are angels!), and I have a pathological need to inform my superiors of my every move. It's disappearing with time, but still... To anyone who's still trapped in the cubicle prison farm, keep sending out those applications and get out as soon as you feasibly can. The only reason a call center exists is to destroy a human being.
I'm 4.5 years in. If there is anything that pays at least the same where you are that you can get, get out now. Most people leave quickly like he said, but I work with middle aged (and young) people who have been there for a decade or more. We all despise it.
I quit 16 months ago. It was one of the HAPPIEST DAYS of my life! I made a promise to myself that once I quit, I would never, ever go back to another call center! I'd sooner scrub toilets, mop floors, stock shelves, work at Burger King, etc... But, I would NEVER go back to a call center. Thankfully, I was able to find a good job and never looked back!
I'm an introvert that got a call center position. Everyone is so extroverted. Its hell for me so far. I'll be working from home in a week or two so that's hopefully worth it but I have a "coach" that will be listening to all my AWKWARD as all hell calls and talking to me about how I suck on a weekly basis. Sticking with it to finish my degree and no other skills at 30. Wish me luck
I was introverted too when I started. I pretended to be someone else. I was a radio DJ.Try to imagine you are “someone else”. Like you’re on a stage in a play playing a role. The audience can’t see you. They only hear your voice.Your voice is your greatest asset. This job may help you come out of your “shell”. It helped me. If someone is being a Di*k to you imagine them in your mind looking goofy or doing silly things. It will make you laugh even smile which will make you relax.
One thing they will not tolerate is independence and introverts. Can't understand why I'm not allowed to quote company policies or scripting in defense of the endless senseless write ups when I'm just showing I did exactly what they asked....oh I didn't go above n beyond oh or it out side the scope of my responsibilities
I’m about to quit my call center job. I can’t do it anymore it’s given me nothing but anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, and has made me seriously reclusive. I have gained no positives from working at a call center. Also this video is so true it hurts.
PTPOP these videos definitely help. I’m happy I found them. My coworkers always say it’s not so bad, but it really is. We have tons of overweight and drug dependent people at the call center I work at. I’m not sure if I should be respectful and put in my two weeks or just quit and never look back.
I just quit mine recently too, towards the end of my career there some days driving home I wanted to crash my car into the bridge. The call centre life will drive you insane
@@annam2352 i cant agree more, the worst thing on woking on a callcenter specialy in the philippines is we work at night shift and we're only paid 10$ a day, its not worth it at all
I lasted about 6 months at my call center job, realized it wasn’t for me and quit. Very stressful job. Never again! I still have some lingering PTSD from it.
I know the struggle. I graduated this fall that passed by with a bachelors in geology. All these companies straight up deny me. I’m doing Amazon at the moment and it’s really frustrating. I did not study 4 years just to be told “we found someone with more experience in the geo field”
Just wait till you're working next to somebody who didn't even go to college 😆 like here you are with student loan debt side by side with somebody that didn't go and yet the job posting required you have a degree 😆
@@Mytesmyth Yep you were better off not going to college, and having the call center pay for your school. Now your stuck working and using that money to pay your dept. If your going to go to college should of been a real career like Medical, or Tech. You chose geology lol, nobody makes money studying rocks unless your working for USGS or a professor.
@@CRoooH Well guess what buster, after 6 months I finally landed a job as a staff geologist. I’m moving to Carlsbad New Mexico in 2 weeks and I’m so excited to finally move out!
Same, got a degree in 2017 and masters in law in 2020 and only job I managed to hear a response from was a call centre. I am resigning because I can’t hack it and don’t have the knack for it.
They hired me on the spot and I quit today I had so much anxiety. I got yelled at by customers and basically was verbally abused for 2 months. I didn't last my anxiety was hitting the walls. There was no support. It's a nightmare. It's definitely not for everyone. Call after call . Basically being paid to be disrespected by customers who want you to fix all their problems in their life. And the fact that theres no sunlight in the building. Its horrible. Worst experience of my life.
Had a job in a call center job for eight months and this is painfully accurate of my experience. So glad it was temporary and I've managed to get into teaching.
I have been at my call center job for 1 year....I have 12 classes left taking two classes this summer and 4 this fall, then repeat spring of 2023 with 4 then 2...I hope that I can make it for 1 more year with this remote job. 🤔🤔
I am currently working in an insurance outbound call center. Talk about a living hell. I have to drink a bottle of wine a night to get the day off me, which I know is not healthy. I'm killing myself slowly. Not to mention I had a major stroke a few years ago and my speech is not up to par. I have had customers cuss me out because I get nervous and can't get my words out. I'm currently doing everything I can to get the hell out of there.
Sorry to hear about your stroke. I have been down the same path you are on. I may as well stuck a straw in my box of Franzia Wine and sucked on it like a juice box. Keep looking for a new place of employment that isn’t as stressful.
@@Ptpop I quit 2 days ago. Am not sure what I'm going to do but I know I am never going back to a call center again. I have an interview lined up for a non call center job on tomorrow. It may be tough, but I'm going to be alright!
Worked in a Medical Scheduling Call Center for 2 yrs. Finally got out and Man it’s a great feeling!!! Was just absolutely burnt out with the Micromanagement on Metrics! There was a shift in new call center leadership last year where basically agents would be subjected to disciplinary action from using “not ready status” too often. Was finally fed up with this BS treatment and started applying and interviewing elsewhere. Leadership only cared about numbers versus helping the patient and that was the sad reality of it. Upon first starting at the CC, they say there happy to have you onboard but after a month or two your nothing but a numerical stat to them!
Glad you got out! Applications on our devices tracking if we are taking a call suck! Feeds the micromanagement and stress to take another call as soon as possible.
Call centers now are almost all contract labor. No benefits or very expensive ones, no raises, no holiday pay. Most of what you said is 100% true. Training for my current job was two weeks and then they threw us on the floor. Team leads do not help at all.
i watched this video for the first time some 4 years ago after I had to quit a call center job for my mental sanity's sake. ever since, occasionally, people will ask me about what it's like or someone will make the comment that they're thinking of working at a call center while they're in-between jobs. each and every single time, i point them to this video and they quickly change their minds. you have saved lives. thank you so much for making this video.
I wish I would’ve seen this video before I left my job of 5 years to work at a call center cause I wanted to be remote. 10 months in and I now have panic attacks every day. I haven’t logged on in 2 days and I know they have either a write up or termination waiting for me when I log on tomorrow. I don’t even care anymore.
Another point that I didn't hear in the video: the trainers always tell you a story about how they used to work on the phones, then they got promoted to being a trainer after only being on the phones for 1 month, and never had to take another call ever again!
What a brave soul. The pain he endured, the suffering he went through just to tell us all this brave/hero story. Hats off to you sir. I hope you find peace.
PTPOP "All Call Center are identical" is incredible you're completely right! All thighs you said are completely correct. Now I don't have job but I feel peace in my soul lol, and Im still recovering mentally 😂. Thank you for your video!!
Thank you for spreading the truth. I make it my mission to tell as many people as I can to abstain from any kind of call center work, no matter how attractive or alluring the perks may sound.
I got fired from my call center job and trust I didn't give a shit, that job drives me up the walls...I felt so relieved knowing I'm not going back to that hell hole asylum.. I appreciate it that it helped me pay bills but that money I was being paid is not worth my sanity and no amount of money will..plus I was pregnant I couldn't deal with it
I have phone anxiety now from all the years in the call centres. I feel bad when I don't answer a personal call but I can't shake the heart pounding anxiety anymore.
OMG, the temperature... Rice and beans... managers...sweet baby Jesus...phonetic alphabetic punishment...the paranoia comes from them listening to the calls...and the dude who smokes pot on his break...
I feel so much better after hearing this video. It wasn't me it was them!!!and the environment. As an RN I've had many different jobs and the call center will literally kill a person. It's so true. It is just like going into a war zone...it's SOOO true.
Thank you for making this type of video and for generating a great comment sections where people can vent and share their experiences. I currently work in a call center environment and it has been so isolating. It feels like you're in a war fighting by yourself each and evey call. Its so validating to hear that its not just ME. Its THE JOB. We all have had similar experiences. At this moment I am not planning on quitting bc I need to pay off debt and save money but I definitely don't plan on staying in this job role forever.
Wow, this is so spot on. I have been running across your videos lately and wow everything is pretty accurate. I have been working in customer service since 2017. I am at my third call center. I have been at my current job for almost 4 years. Lately, I am beginning to burn out and feel that it is time for new opportunities The only reason why I started working in customer service is that I could not find a job in the field that I went to school for.
Maybe people should be nicer to each other, also people who call support should not be assholes and take it on the people in call center. And guess who is the rudest to people in call center - people from USA.
Z Werk yes they are . I took 2 days of Latino calls , sweethearts most of them...when I was switched to the American people omg hell started so much cussing ,I feel like a punching bag
One thing in call center is: Do not trust anyone! Its filled with snakes there. I had someone that acted friendly and asked for my cellphone, but his goal was just to stalk me and report all to his boss. I left one day when they were installing decoration and dropping all the stuffs on my table. I just took a break and left.
I hate watching other departments hanging out and talking around the office, meanwhile a supervisor tracks me down if Im away from the phone for more than a few minutes
Mate, I worked in call centres, inbound, for nearly a decade. Never again. And I don’t need to recount a single bad experience because you know exactly what they are. Did some good campaigns, some bad ones, a couple of really toxic ones, met some nice people here and there, but never, ever again. And cheers to everyone who has left and is also getting their life and mind back.
I hate my job in tech support. Taken almost 4000 calls since I started in Jan. I’ve had two customers complain about me and it’s not even what I said, it’s my “tone”. My supervisor took the customers side because I sounded frustrated when I was being yelled at while talking to the customer. How the hell can I not sound frustrated when talking to some one yelling and swearing at me?
This is 100% accurate! I only lasted 6 months at a call center (tech support). It was the worst job ever, no debate! Any "incentive" throughout the day was some crappy Chuck-e-Cheese plastic piece of garbage (a "toy"). The hell am I supposed to do with that? I should have suspected something when I got interviewed and offered the job in the same hour. Of the seemingly infinite things I could complain about, I'll narrow it to two. One: We received no training on any of the devices we were supposed to help with. We used on-screen emulators/instruction manuals. Any phone, tablet, or wifi thing, didn't matter. If you got any hands-on with that stuff, it was because you owned one yourself. What's worse is that internet access was restricted to just the emulators and stuff. We could never google a solution! Two: The company would say you were graded/tracked on a number of stats whenever they evaluate your work. In reality, they only cared about two stats: how many calls you did in a day/hour/etc, and how quickly you could get to the next one. They didn't care if you even solved the problem, so long as you got to the next call ASAP. These places are as close to hell as I think you can possibly get. It's just so mentally and emotionally draining!
Thanks for watching. Complete agree. When I was at Verizon Wirelesses call center we had to trouble shoot hundred of different models of phones with online emulators too. It was impossible because each cell phone manufacturer makes their phones and OS differently. It was like trying to swat a fly while being blindfolded. Awful.
It's 2020 and I wish I've watched this years ago. Thank to you I've left my call center job and I'm focusing on my dream career in health and fitness helping people get into shape. Don't do it people! Call centers are a trap. Follow your passion. The money will come later.
I work in a call center at home. I am lucky to have a hard working husband who said it is okay for me to be a stay at home wife! So, I can just cook & clean on top of work on my passion in art.
The way ptpop described the call center was spot on. I got up and left in the middle of my interview. They asked me 3 questions and offered me the job. Huge red flags
I just finished my 1 month notice. I never felt that great ever before. I got a new aviation job and now makes me cherish it so much more now. Can't wait to start my new job. Everyday I went back home I am just too exhausted and ended up sleeping because of the pressure. Messed up
And the people who set/come up with those unrealistic goals have ( at least in my experience ) have never taken calls in call center in their whole life...
This is spot on! I’ve been doing this since 2003 it’s time to move on. There is no room for growth or promotion. And everyday feels like your getting the boot. I cleaned my desk out 8 months ago in preparation of getting fired..
Hope you don't get the boot. If you've been there fifteen years your doing something right. You're a survivor and cus people don't last six months. Unless you have something better lined up hang in there until you do.
I laughed when I heard about 'hanging up headset's and just walking away'. Genuinely laughed out loud. Cried as I felt like that my last shift & yelled back at two customers. Now let's see if these back breaking bastards keep me on or I end up breaking a headset on my way out. Currently looking for another job while I'm still in this one. Fast paced inbound isn't for me, the calls don't stop coming and I can't stop unless I break on the admin system (which is logged) Keep telling myself it's just money for Christmas. Health and sanity not worth it.
Especially when u got 8 bosses because every supervisor can manage you. N on top of the emotionally draining calls...u got a glorified babysitter telling u sign this write up u missed quota by .37%
Exactly my experience here in India! I got into a sales job and left on 3rd day of the job, because well you are tied to your desk with a'headphone' leash with huge targets.
I work on a call center on Costa Rica for an American company, I go through all of this crap for about $30 a day, and I’m lucky, because that’s a good call center here. Living in a 3rd world economy, working this shit job for a bad pay it’s just not worth the effort, at all, saying sorry to the cx for their mistake, and thanking people just for not treating you like an animal is just not right, and most of the time your work is not even contributing to something important, if it wasn’t because I need the job I’d quit, unfortunately that’s not how it works around here, if you think call centers suck, try working for them on a poor country, they would you treat you like a rat, because they can... Great video man, thanks for letting people know about these horrible places
Yeah, that also feels terrible man, trying to help someone and they won't even want the help cause your accent says you are not qualified or smart enough to do the job, that's messed up!
@@gabrielsoto2236 yeah i know, next year ill be graduating from college and hopefully out of this hell soon, i hope you can get out too and wish you the best
The thing that fries my brain the most is that 1) most customers don't get to the point and tell lots of irrelevant information about nothing, and 2) they can't even explain what they want when they call -- they use completely different terms interchangeably and send you up the garden path
I'm watching this as I get through my day. Doing Service Desk is one of the more challenging call centers I've ever worked for. Help desk/service desk gets a rep for being a chill job, it is not. One call resolutions, multiple tickets for one call, hour long convos. I've been doing this for years, and this video is encouraging me to make the right change.
Accurate AF. I tell people this stuff and they think I'm exaggerating/hyperbolic. They are ALL run this way. Straight sweatshops. Been doing it since 2012.
Currently been working in a call center for about a year now, wake up every morning dreading everything about it. Getting scolded daily for things you can’t control is tough. Company only cares about the numbers, not employee happiness. We’re replaceable and underpaid in my opinion. Currently looking for other opportunities but Covid makes it tough. 🙃
I worked from home doing tech support calls for about 6 months. About 4 months in I was ready to quit My initial plan was to stay 6 months so I could get enough experience to help me land a decent IT job. The company I worked for was constantly changing policies, changing peoples schedules, changed the call flow from a decent one with a few minutes between calls to back to back calls nonstop all day. I got lucky and got a IT job. I gave the company a one week notice, but couldn't handle it quit in the middle of my next shift. Never been so relieved.
My last day was my best day. I cannot tell you how much better I felt. Was a total pain shipping the equipment back because trying to get ahold of the department that handles that was awful
I've been in a call center for 3 months and I've hated it since day one of being on the phones. I knew I would have it too, but I needed the money. I going to quit soon myself tho.
I did 2 weeks of paid training and thought I'd give it a go cause I needed a job. After training I was put onto the call center floor to start answering calls using a broken handset, on a computer system I had no training on. The customers were ranting on the phone over issues I didn't know about. Got me feeling pissed off and frustrated all day because of it. The managers were useless, only caring about sales and targets just to cover their own asses. They tell you one thing and then say another. I basically quit after my 1st day. I knew what it was about. Complete bullshit. The call center I was worked at had a high turn over rate too. They recruited 60-70 people every month. Most people leave within the first week and I'm not surprised why.
I just quit my last call center job, I had a manager who would choose not to help us, she would lie to us about company policies, and never be at her desk. The same with the operation managers, would get up every 10 mins for smoke breaks, lmao everyone from management there were terrible, no help from HR or anyone if you needed days off for religious or medical purposes, if you weren’t their favorite then tough luck, getting the time off you need. I was sick and tired of all the bull in that job, horrible experience...would not recommend, this video is so relatable
My family is pressuring me to work in a call center but I have heard horrible stories there and then and I don't like it. They think it's an easy job lmao
I been working at call center for three years. I hated the phone ringing, managers, and customers. The customers were horrible. I almost was rushed to the hospital because of my health condition. The call center gave me migraine baldy I had to get off of the phones to clear my head before I explode. I only need the job to pay my bills. I be feeling like a robot when repeating the same thing over, especially at home. But thank you jesus I don't deal with people anymore. Because I doing a government job where I do research on taxpayer account on the computer. So after that I don't talk to people anymore.
I have worked in call centers for around ten years, I couldn’t agree more with this guy, this year I started working on a totally different area, my only regret is I didn’t make that decision before.
I work at a bank call center in Germany and all you said is absolutely true. Especially the description of the supervisor is so damn accurate. Will try my best to find another job.
Pete, Yeah....If I have to use the restroom outside of my break time I get a "coaching" stating "do you have a problem? do we need to split your break time in half so you can use the restroom twice in one day"? Like splitting the break time in half would give you enough time to get to the restroom and back!
This video was what I needed as confirmation. I worked at a company for years. Exceeded all their metrics and still got shit from them. There was always something that I wasn't doing good enough. I had one manager tried to get me fired 17 times. The mental and emotional turmoil I experienced and the feeling of not being able to trust anyone. Scared to open to anyone at all. And anytime I tried to get promoted they capped me on some BS. I left and did some film studies. Life put me back at a call center because at the end of the day. No matter how well you do. No matter how long you work there. You leave with only enough experience to join another call center and repeat the process. It's a toxic cycle. And I am just over this BS.
Very true and very well said. I experienced the exact same thing. No matter how hard you try you slide back to the bottom of the heap. It’s just like In Greek mythology Sisyphus or Sisyphos (/ˈsɪsɪfəs/; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος Sísuphos) was the king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top, repeating this action for eternity.
Just watched the whole video and really loved how you portrayed call centres as that is exactly what they are and most things said are parallel to what I went through to with managers/supervisors not liking you or trying to downgrade you if you are good at the job your doing. It's disgusting and despicable that they do that and get away with that and also in regards to the breaks, I remember how quickly they went in and their was literally just enough time to go to the toilet and barely any time to eat lunch. I'm glad I had left when I did as they are all terrible places to work unless the manager likes you and you can get off the phone for a bit
Thanks for watching. I must be a masochist because I kept trying different places thinking they would be different but they weren't. It's interesting to know there is no difference in the U.K.
I once had a guy repeat his story for 45 minutes straight at least 30 times in a row. I was mind blown. I was told to keep assisting him and the found out there’s a protocol for customers who repeat themselves. And I’m seriously amazed there are people who are rude and repeat themselves over and over again. That’s completely insane! My call center job changed my feelings about humanity, I actually became a very dark person inside. Btw, working my job has taught me how to try my best to be the best customer ever because I know the person who answered either cussed right before answering me, or rolled their eyes. The only time I put pressure on the other end is when they aren’t doing their job, but if I made a mistake, I’d never take out my frustration about the company on the worker.
Omg The dame thing happened to me. People repeating themselves over and over again. If Definitely gave me a different and dark view of humanity as well. I try to be nice when I call a canter too.
I just quit an "IT Support" job that was really just an undercover call center. I barely made it 2 months before I quit, most miserable experience of my professional life
I work for Spectrum and this man didn't tell a single lie (although I do get a 1 hr lunch and a very cool sup lol). The only reason I still work there is because I've been working from home ever since I started, after 2 months of being at the CC I was sent home. As soon as they ask me to come back in the center I am OUT. Thankfully they moved us to a different dept so im taking far less calls a day and have tons of idle time and the Sup is cool. Im planning to quit literally any day now but going back to the CC is automatic quit haha.
The secret to call center work is to treat it as a placeholder job: Work your shift, then go looking for your next job. In the meantime, you still get paid. Boss yelling at you? Ignore it, you get paid. Dragged into HR for not meeting targets? Ignore it, you get paid. Office politics in play? Ignore it, you get paid. Sick as a dog and can't come in, threatened with being fired? Stay home, you get PTO. Get fired anyway? Who cares, you already have several leads for a better job. Last it out but get a better job? Jump ship, get paid better. Call centers are nice for your first job, or the unemployment insurance is running out, or your job search is taking longer than your finances can hold. Its money in the pocket, experience at what corporate culture is like, and gives you skills for retail or service industries. Heck, if you luck out and get tech support training, you can fluff that into a junior IT admin position that pays triple. The worst thing you can do is treat this as a career, unless you manage to get off the phones. Otherwise, you will last three years tops before they replace you with someone that doesn't cost as much.
I work fulltime in a Call Center for around 7 Years now. And to be honest, i have nightmares to go to work there. I´ve ruined my right shoulder joint, having tinitus in my left ear, i can only hear 40% in my right ear, having hallucinations, my hairs are white now, need sedatives to now having panic attacks, getting migraine attacks like a swiss clockwork. Before this job i was kind and friendly to pretty much anyone, but now i´m a mean, sarcastic and agressive A**hole. Things like empathy are pretty much gone. And all this for a few cents above the minimum income. In the beginning the job was fun and i liked it, but now, i daily pray to the lord above that they say they gonna lay me off. Reasons: i don´t get any unemployment benefit if i quit. If i quit the job from my side, i get a penalty for this. No kidding. I´m pretty much stuck on it. From all those who started with me at the company i´m the only one still left there. All the things you said, simply everything, i can absolute and total agree on it. If they fire me, i will thank the good lord above for this.
I experienced tension headaches working in a call center, and I never even knew what those were until I got them and had to research my symptoms online. A tension headache is a specific type of headache induced by stress that occurs in certain parts of the forehead. My head would feel numb and hazy, but also painful like there was pressure on my skull. I also remember seeing paramedics haul people away at the call center about 3-4 times. I never knew what health conditions they had, but I could imaged that if you had a chronic health condition the call center environment will make it worse.
I'm closing my fourth month working in the hellish open space woaouu and let me tell you I already paid the price with my health... I'm currently on a sick leave for a couple of days and let me tell you I might find out I got fired once I'm back and at this point it might be the best thing to ever happen to me! Either way I am trying to get the hell out and fast! No amount of hopeless case status deserves to putting up with this... I gotta say though your video was like therapy to me because I felt heard and understood. Cheers mate.
To those considering a position in a call centre and who still have a reasonable amount of self-preservation: do not and I repeat do not ! Under no circumstances should you go directly into the mouth of the beast. Know that you will be walking in with your soul at stake. No kidding. Call centres are the closest thing modernity has crafted to demonic harvesting facilities.
Lately I've been remembering all the lies I've been told during the interview but it was my first one out of college and I sure got played good, lesson learned!
Sometimes I'd think it's because I have psycho supervisors or that chain smoker manager we have but it's definitely the same hell with different extras at every places.
Either way let me join the choir that's playing in hopes to avoid calamity to future souls: R U N
You get sick leave?
One of the few jobs I hope AI takes over just so that no one else has to suffer this modern day slavery
❤
That's what I've been saying!!! Like...I say this to anyone that will listen, people do not deserve a live call and no one should have to sit through all of this everyday for months on end.
When artificial general intelligence arrives within a few decades, it is projected that 85% of all blue and white collar jobs will be automated!
i literally cancelled my job interview after watching this video
Trust me when I say this you made the right decision you dodged a huge bullet
Im telling you you've made a great decision :)))))))) congratulations for you. I'm a bit late to do this tho
In need of some quick cash lol so I don’t have a choice
Good Job!!! Safe your self stress
Well done. i would've done the same.
This guy is literally saving peoples lives. Those that watch these videos and decide against these type of jobs will save years of liver abuse, constant anxiety and deep depression.
One of my best choices was to quit that job.
My boss used to tell me and my team that we have to act like therapists towards the costumers "because they bother you about something but behind that there's something else"
Honey, if you want me to be a fucking therapist pay me like one.
I’ve heard the “therapist” thing too. That’s absurd.
FACTS! I'M TIRED OF BEING A CALL CENTER THERAPIST TOO! WE are the ones who need therapists after dealing with these ppl.
I worked at a call center for a while and it was awful. Every minute of the day was just miserable.
You're not alone. Every call center I have been in has been miserable.
Thanks for watching.
I can definitely relate
@@Ptpop if you had to change call centers how would you do, as someone who had to work at them?
I never want to work at one again for as long as I live!!!
I had a college professor who worked at a call center for a while. He said it was the most dehumanizing job he ever had. He was supposed to read from a script on these calls and would close his eyes and try to recite as much as he could without looking just to keep himself entertained.
yes you are basically saying a script. when the customer replies back something new you have no clue on what to say because you thought the script was enought.
@@camilovivasve hahahah I laughed at your comment, cuz it's true! You say everything on the script, you think you did great, customer replies or asks sth that you don't know how to answer and try to find a script, but there are no scripts for every situation, you just have to improvise... Sometimes you doubt and stutter, but if you are a quick thinker you say sth with confidence even though you don't know it is true... Nervousness and anxiety in those moments! I don't know if I should laugh or creo xD :(
I worked at a Verizon Call Center and this was spot on. It actually was really detrimental to my health. I was in collections. It drove me to the psych ward. The hospital said they get lots of call center employees. My roommate at the hospital worked collections at AT&T 🤣
I worked at Verizon too. People dropping like flies every week. Paramedics there all the time.
Hope you're doing better now. I'm 8 months in and working on an exit strategy. Some days I forget my name.
@@Ptpop you've got 🏀🏀 of steel for having worked at a call center since 1991. You deserve a lifetime achievement award for that
@@GK222_ hell yeah
28 years at 411. Bell Atlantic then Verizon. Shooting for 30. Working at home since Covid is a dream. Good pay, pension, 5 weeks + vacay. Thank God for the union. We need more of them in this country. I've seen many operators retire from Bell and Verizon with enhanced packages, early retirement, or serving out their 25 or 30 years. Medical benefits are great also. Not saying it isn't a difficult job and environment. But it's hard to find pay and benefits like that these days.
I just quit my call center job... I am free!! :)
Same !!! Lol congrats
Me too!!!!
Refka Mhamdi Congratulations!!
Well done best thing you could do / STRESS FREE ya
i just did, i keep thinking "i never have to speak to a customer ever again"
Its detrimental to your health.
whats it do
I agree!! I find it damaging to my mental, physical, and emotional well-being!!
It has an impact on my health 😌 for sure. Started feeling this after 2 years of working for a call center
I would literally rather take my own life than work in a call centre again.
I hear you.
Then at night you can’t sleep because you’re dreaming about how awful the works is.
How true Goddess.
I hate my call center job. I try to be the best I can be on the call but people are so rude and compare that with terrible management with no accountability... it’s HELL! I’ve never been clinically diagnosed with depression but I swear I’m the most depressed I’ve ever been working in the call center. It takes all of my strength to do this everyday. I deserve better and will be quitting this job due to it affecting my daily quality of life. It is not worth it.
Update: I quit and never felt better! Just got hired for a new position (not a call center) and I am very excited!
@@embernicolle Awesome!
Having a call center job will make you hate humanity! I’ve been at mine for 16 yrs and it is HELL! Everything you’ve said is right on point! We have a stat where if a cust calls back in 7 days it counts against us... like wtf?! They dropped the Apple Watch activation on us without training us on how to do it. That was a nightmare .. I could go on and on. Don’t get me started on customers who hate their own lives and want to call and take it out on you. I will tell whoever is thinking about a call center job ... RUN! Know your worth.
Thanks for watching. You’ve worked in the same call center for 16 years? OMG how have you survived that long?
PTPOP Yes, I started with the original AT&T wireless before the merger when Cingular bought AT&T. Back in 2002 before cell phones were what they are now it wasn’t bad at all. It was fun actually. We only had like 3 stats that were easy to maintain. When Cingular took over everything went to shit. They are psycho, seriously! I’ve stayed bc the benefits are good, I have tenure and get a lot of paid vacation and can get any shift I want but for the last 3 yrs it’s gone from bad to worse. I’m just holding out until I’m done with my masters degree.
PTPOP Oh and we have a union but they are worthless! I was a member for years but withdrew my membership after I realized that things weren’t getting better.
I use to work for GTE Wireless call center in Ohio. We had Ohio, Indian and Erie Pa. that was in 1994 to 97. It was fun back then. I had all kinds of friends in the call center. Then they merged with Alltel then they closed the call center. after that Verizon bought them.
It can make you feel less of a human. I was saying the script while sleep. My woman was concerned. It’s not a job to me a punishment
Everything he said is true. Working in a call center sucks! Most of your calls are from stupid people cussing you out all day because of mistakes they made! I cannot believe anyone who says that they actually like working in call centers. Working in a call center is Hell on Earth!
Who enjoys working in a call center? The person who enjoys that place is either lying or their soul has been taken so they accept it.
Girrrl its hell, sometimes I cry before going to work.. I'm happy I'm out of it now
I wud love to wrk at one
Facts
So true
I lasted only one month. The ringing sound still haunts me
I hate talking on the phone now.
May i ask how's life going for you after that? Im more than a month in and im already having doubt about this industry. Something Just doesnt feel right.
When you say the script to your mate in your sleep like I did you know it’s a living nightmare
I’m so sorry
after call center hell being a receptionist where i work feels like vacation
I did this crap for the better part of a decade. This dude is dropping 100% fact. I hated my life in a call center, and even remote call center work soured working from home for me. Glad I finally got out, but it left some huge mental scars. I'm _still_ afraid to take time off of work for fear of managerial reprisal (my current supervisory team where I work are angels!), and I have a pathological need to inform my superiors of my every move. It's disappearing with time, but still...
To anyone who's still trapped in the cubicle prison farm, keep sending out those applications and get out as soon as you feasibly can. The only reason a call center exists is to destroy a human being.
I have worked in two call centers and this video is strikingly accurate.
+Nilla Nate Thanks.
im in this hell right now trying my best to get out
Java Red Did you get out yet ??? I'm 8 weeks in and I HATE IT. . .
I'm 4.5 years in. If there is anything that pays at least the same where you are that you can get, get out now. Most people leave quickly like he said, but I work with middle aged (and young) people who have been there for a decade or more. We all despise it.
Gotten out?
I quit 16 months ago. It was one of the HAPPIEST DAYS of my life! I made a promise to myself that once I quit, I would never, ever go back to another call center! I'd sooner scrub toilets, mop floors, stock shelves, work at Burger King, etc... But, I would NEVER go back to a call center. Thankfully, I was able to find a good job and never looked back!
Same here
I'm an introvert that got a call center position. Everyone is so extroverted. Its hell for me so far. I'll be working from home in a week or two so that's hopefully worth it but I have a "coach" that will be listening to all my AWKWARD as all hell calls and talking to me about how I suck on a weekly basis. Sticking with it to finish my degree and no other skills at 30. Wish me luck
I was introverted too when I started. I pretended to be someone else. I was a radio DJ.Try to imagine you are “someone else”. Like you’re on a stage in a play playing a role. The audience can’t see you. They only hear your voice.Your voice is your greatest asset. This job may help you come out of your “shell”. It helped me. If someone is being a Di*k to you imagine them in your mind looking goofy or doing silly things. It will make you laugh even smile which will make you relax.
One thing they will not tolerate is independence and introverts. Can't understand why I'm not allowed to quote company policies or scripting in defense of the endless senseless write ups when I'm just showing I did exactly what they asked....oh I didn't go above n beyond oh or it out side the scope of my responsibilities
Being introvert at a call center job is really horrible, I feel a lot of anxiety everytime I see a call coming through on the system 😢
First call I got in a call center was some lady taking a massive dump… heard every plop and splash! I lasted about a week!
I’m about to quit my call center job. I can’t do it anymore it’s given me nothing but anxiety, suicidal thoughts, depression, and has made me seriously reclusive. I have gained no positives from working at a call center. Also this video is so true it hurts.
I am truly sorry to hear it’s been so rough on you. I feel for you. If it helps, You’re not alone.
PTPOP these videos definitely help. I’m happy I found them. My coworkers always say it’s not so bad, but it really is. We have tons of overweight and drug dependent people at the call center I work at. I’m not sure if I should be respectful and put in my two weeks or just quit and never look back.
the same bro, wish you all the best im about to quit mine as well
I just quit mine recently too, towards the end of my career there some days driving home I wanted to crash my car into the bridge. The call centre life will drive you insane
@@annam2352 i cant agree more, the worst thing on woking on a callcenter specialy in the philippines is we work at night shift and we're only paid 10$ a day, its not worth it at all
I lasted about 6 months at my call center job, realized it wasn’t for me and quit. Very stressful job. Never again! I still have some lingering PTSD from it.
I got a bachelor degree in 2018 and no one even call me for an interview except call center 😒 I love my life
I know the struggle. I graduated this fall that passed by with a bachelors in geology. All these companies straight up deny me. I’m doing Amazon at the moment and it’s really frustrating. I did not study 4 years just to be told “we found someone with more experience in the geo field”
Just wait till you're working next to somebody who didn't even go to college 😆 like here you are with student loan debt side by side with somebody that didn't go and yet the job posting required you have a degree 😆
@@Mytesmyth Yep you were better off not going to college, and having the call center pay for your school. Now your stuck working and using that money to pay your dept. If your going to go to college should of been a real career like Medical, or Tech. You chose geology lol, nobody makes money studying rocks unless your working for USGS or a professor.
@@CRoooH Well guess what buster, after 6 months I finally landed a job as a staff geologist. I’m moving to Carlsbad New Mexico in 2 weeks and I’m so excited to finally move out!
Same, got a degree in 2017 and masters in law in 2020 and only job I managed to hear a response from was a call centre. I am resigning because I can’t hack it and don’t have the knack for it.
They hired me on the spot and I quit today I had so much anxiety. I got yelled at by customers and basically was verbally abused for 2 months. I didn't last my anxiety was hitting the walls. There was no support. It's a nightmare. It's definitely not for everyone. Call after call . Basically being paid to be disrespected by customers who want you to fix all their problems in their life. And the fact that theres no sunlight in the building. Its horrible. Worst experience of my life.
I know. It’s awful. Hope you are doing better now.
@@Ptpop thank you ! I'm relieved and working on getting another job.😊
Isabel Cee exactly how I feel about mines I feel so depressed and crying almost everyday about this job.
Had a job in a call center job for eight months and this is painfully accurate of my experience. So glad it was temporary and I've managed to get into teaching.
I have been at my call center job for 1 year....I have 12 classes left taking two classes this summer and 4 this fall, then repeat spring of 2023 with 4 then 2...I hope that I can make it for 1 more year with this remote job. 🤔🤔
Dishwasher is labor intensive, but I think i rather do that than deal with another billing issue call.
I used to have depression, I just started working in a call center, I can feel my depression coming back.
Man, I'm going to tell you, get another job as soon as you can!
call centers caused me anxiety and a very deep depression as well. I hope you left and we’re able to get a new job!
Take my advice, prepare to leave. It gets worse😢
Yeah call center work will suck all the fun out of life quick.
Get out as soon as you can. Please your health is the most important
Another thing is you will almost never finish work on time. If it's 10 seconds to end of shift you'll get a 30-60+ min call at least once a week.
I am currently working in an insurance outbound call center. Talk about a living hell. I have to drink a bottle of wine a night to get the day off me, which I know is not healthy. I'm killing myself slowly. Not to mention I had a major stroke a few years ago and my speech is not up to par. I have had customers cuss me out because I get nervous and can't get my words out. I'm currently doing everything I can to get the hell out of there.
Sorry to hear about your stroke. I have been down the same path you are on. I may as well stuck a straw in my box of Franzia Wine and sucked on it like a juice box. Keep looking for a new place of employment that isn’t as stressful.
@@Ptpop I quit 2 days ago. Am not sure what I'm going to do but I know I am never going back to a call center again. I have an interview lined up for a non call center job on tomorrow. It may be tough, but I'm going to be alright!
@@valrivas7424 good luck !!
Good luck, hope you are feeling better now that you are free from the call center job aka hell on earth.
❤️❤️❤️
I’ll literally take any other job aside from my current call center nightmare. Hope they hire me.
Worked in a Medical Scheduling Call Center for 2 yrs. Finally got out and
Man it’s a great feeling!!! Was just absolutely burnt out with the Micromanagement on Metrics! There was a shift in new call center leadership last year where basically agents would be subjected to disciplinary action from using “not ready status” too often. Was finally fed up with this BS treatment and started applying and interviewing elsewhere. Leadership only cared about numbers versus helping the patient and that was the sad reality of it. Upon first starting at the CC, they say there happy to have you onboard but after a month or two your nothing but a numerical stat to them!
Glad you got out! Applications on our devices tracking if we are taking a call suck! Feeds the micromanagement and stress to take another call as soon as possible.
Just cancelled my interview after
watching this video probably saved me from severe depresion.
Depends on the company. Many of them are sh!t. My current one is half way decent.
Call centers now are almost all contract labor. No benefits or very expensive ones, no raises, no holiday pay. Most of what you said is 100% true. Training for my current job was two weeks and then they threw us on the floor. Team leads do not help at all.
It’s hard to afford the benefits that are given another snare
Thanks for the words of wisdom! I'll stay away from callcentration camps!
💀💀
callcentration camps. LOL!
i watched this video for the first time some 4 years ago after I had to quit a call center job for my mental sanity's sake. ever since, occasionally, people will ask me about what it's like or someone will make the comment that they're thinking of working at a call center while they're in-between jobs. each and every single time, i point them to this video and they quickly change their minds. you have saved lives. thank you so much for making this video.
Glad I could help.
I wish I would’ve seen this video before I left my job of 5 years to work at a call center cause I wanted to be remote. 10 months in and I now have panic attacks every day. I haven’t logged on in 2 days and I know they have either a write up or termination waiting for me when I log on tomorrow. I don’t even care anymore.
Another point that I didn't hear in the video: the trainers always tell you a story about how they used to work on the phones, then they got promoted to being a trainer after only being on the phones for 1 month, and never had to take another call ever again!
True! I’ll make a new video about that. Thanks
What a brave soul. The pain he endured, the suffering he went through just to tell us all this brave/hero story. Hats off to you sir. I hope you find peace.
I have recently quitted my job in a Call Center I worked for 7 months and hell this Job was super super super (im not kidding) super stressful.
Sorry you had to quit. They are all extremely stressful. Good luck to you.
PTPOP "All Call Center are identical" is incredible you're completely right! All thighs you said are completely correct. Now I don't have job but I feel peace in my soul lol, and Im still recovering mentally 😂.
Thank you for your video!!
Bless this man. I called off today, just couldn’t take it.
No. Bless you for being in the trenches taking calls from all the crazy people and putting up with tyrannical supervisors. You're not alone.
Totally get it, i left my Call Center job, i called in sick so much because i couldn't take the stress, and they gave me a lot of warnings too
Thank you for spreading the truth. I make it my mission to tell as many people as I can to abstain from any kind of call center work, no matter how attractive or alluring the perks may sound.
Call center work is really bad. Scream it from the rooftops!
I got fired from my call center job and trust I didn't give a shit, that job drives me up the walls...I felt so relieved knowing I'm not going back to that hell hole asylum.. I appreciate it that it helped me pay bills but that money I was being paid is not worth my sanity and no amount of money will..plus I was pregnant I couldn't deal with it
I am glad you put your pregnancy over that nonsense. No stress is worth your health.
I have phone anxiety now from all the years in the call centres. I feel bad when I don't answer a personal call but I can't shake the heart pounding anxiety anymore.
Even in my sleep, I would be dreaming taking calls from an irate customer.
I did 17 years in three different call centers. This is horribly accurate.
OMG, the temperature... Rice and beans... managers...sweet baby Jesus...phonetic alphabetic punishment...the paranoia comes from them listening to the calls...and the dude who smokes pot on his break...
I feel so much better after hearing this video. It wasn't me it was them!!!and the environment. As an RN I've had many different jobs and the call center will literally kill a person. It's so true. It is just like going into a war zone...it's SOOO true.
HAHAHHAAHA bro you sound like you did prison time
17 years shit!!! How u did it man????
@@slayerSRBIJA89 it's worse than prison. It is prison. Prison of the mind.
Thank you for making this type of video and for generating a great comment sections where people can vent and share their experiences. I currently work in a call center environment and it has been so isolating. It feels like you're in a war fighting by yourself each and evey call. Its so validating to hear that its not just ME. Its THE JOB. We all have had similar experiences. At this moment I am not planning on quitting bc I need to pay off debt and save money but I definitely don't plan on staying in this job role forever.
Just left my call center job and my mental health is slowly getting better. Whenever someone says “phone” I gain PTSD though.
Wow, this is so spot on. I have been running across your videos lately and wow everything is pretty accurate. I have been working in customer service since 2017. I am at my third call center. I have been at my current job for almost 4 years. Lately, I am beginning to burn out and feel that it is time for new opportunities The only reason why I started working in customer service is that I could not find a job in the field that I went to school for.
It definitely burns you out! 😭
Maybe people should be nicer to each other, also people who call support should not be assholes and take it on the people in call center.
And guess who is the rudest to people in call center - people from USA.
Z Werk yes they are . I took 2 days of Latino calls , sweethearts most of them...when I was switched to the American people omg hell started so much cussing ,I feel like a punching bag
Period ~
Six weeks was enough! I've been in the workforce for 29 years. The call center job was the worse and shortest job I ever had. Hell does exist!
Me too. Call centers are hell on earth.
I just quit my call center job TODAY. I got 3 months away from my 2 year anniversary. It’s like a weight has been lifted from my soul.
One thing in call center is: Do not trust anyone! Its filled with snakes there. I had someone that acted friendly and asked for my cellphone, but his goal was just to stalk me and report all to his boss. I left one day when they were installing decoration and dropping all the stuffs on my table. I just took a break and left.
Few employees I think was the worst. Don't get me wrong some calls were a pain but nothing compare to the backstabbers at work.
Truer words were never spoken.
Run!
I literally turned down a call center offer, no regrets
My call center job, my interview was on Halloween, I got inteviewed by a goddamn t-rex.
Seriously? They were dressed as a T-Rex?
Aaaaaahahahaha 😂😂😂🤣
Lol
You tickled the hell outta me. Made me sign in so I could kill myself laughing 😂!!!
I died!!!!
I hope one day machines will be in charge of cc jobs. No human being should work in a place like that.
It’s already happening.
Modern slaves ! I worked in a call center for two years and it's such a garbage job ! Literally the worst job ever
Abso-freakin-lutely! Fast food workers get more respect!
I hate watching other departments hanging out and talking around the office, meanwhile a supervisor tracks me down if Im away from the phone for more than a few minutes
Mate, I worked in call centres, inbound, for nearly a decade. Never again. And I don’t need to recount a single bad experience because you know exactly what they are. Did some good campaigns, some bad ones, a couple of really toxic ones, met some nice people here and there, but never, ever again. And cheers to everyone who has left and is also getting their life and mind back.
I hate my job in tech support. Taken almost 4000 calls since I started in Jan. I’ve had two customers complain about me and it’s not even what I said, it’s my “tone”. My supervisor took the customers side because I sounded frustrated when I was being yelled at while talking to the customer. How the hell can I not sound frustrated when talking to some one yelling and swearing at me?
It’s hard. Especially if they don’t train you how to respond. If you are the least bit sensitive it’s extremely hard not to respond in a negative way.
This is 100% accurate! I only lasted 6 months at a call center (tech support). It was the worst job ever, no debate! Any "incentive" throughout the day was some crappy Chuck-e-Cheese plastic piece of garbage (a "toy"). The hell am I supposed to do with that? I should have suspected something when I got interviewed and offered the job in the same hour. Of the seemingly infinite things I could complain about, I'll narrow it to two.
One: We received no training on any of the devices we were supposed to help with. We used on-screen emulators/instruction manuals. Any phone, tablet, or wifi thing, didn't matter. If you got any hands-on with that stuff, it was because you owned one yourself. What's worse is that internet access was restricted to just the emulators and stuff. We could never google a solution!
Two: The company would say you were graded/tracked on a number of stats whenever they evaluate your work. In reality, they only cared about two stats: how many calls you did in a day/hour/etc, and how quickly you could get to the next one. They didn't care if you even solved the problem, so long as you got to the next call ASAP.
These places are as close to hell as I think you can possibly get. It's just so mentally and emotionally draining!
Thanks for watching. Complete agree. When I was at Verizon Wirelesses call center we had to trouble shoot hundred of different models of phones with online emulators too. It was impossible because each cell phone manufacturer makes their phones and OS differently. It was like trying to swat a fly while being blindfolded. Awful.
It's 2020 and I wish I've watched this years ago. Thank to you I've left my call center job and I'm focusing on my dream career in health and fitness helping people get into shape. Don't do it people! Call centers are a trap. Follow your passion. The money will come later.
I work in a call center at home. I am lucky to have a hard working husband who said it is okay for me to be a stay at home wife! So, I can just cook & clean on top of work on my passion in art.
Good for you. I am happy for you.
Dream life! 🤍
It’s torture. Glad you got out
The way ptpop described the call center was spot on. I got up and left in the middle of my interview. They asked me 3 questions and offered me the job. Huge red flags
That’s how they operate. It’s good you walked out.
I just finished my 1 month notice. I never felt that great ever before. I got a new aviation job and now makes me cherish it so much more now. Can't wait to start my new job. Everyday I went back home I am just too exhausted and ended up sleeping because of the pressure. Messed up
Very true. They suck!!! I literally took off my headset one day and never went back. Haven't worked in one since. Couldn't do it anymore.
It’s an awful way to “make a living”.
And the people who set/come up with those unrealistic goals have ( at least in my experience ) have never taken calls in call center in their whole life...
This is spot on! I’ve been doing this since 2003 it’s time to move on. There is no room for growth or promotion. And everyday feels like your getting the boot. I cleaned my desk out 8 months ago in preparation of getting fired..
Hope you don't get the boot. If you've been there fifteen years your doing something right. You're a survivor and cus people don't last six months. Unless you have something better lined up hang in there until you do.
I laughed when I heard about 'hanging up headset's and just walking away'. Genuinely laughed out loud. Cried as I felt like that my last shift & yelled back at two customers.
Now let's see if these back breaking bastards keep me on or I end up breaking a headset on my way out. Currently looking for another job while I'm still in this one. Fast paced inbound isn't for me, the calls don't stop coming and I can't stop unless I break on the admin system (which is logged) Keep telling myself it's just money for Christmas.
Health and sanity not worth it.
Glad I made you lol. Hang in there.
Especially when u got 8 bosses because every supervisor can manage you. N on top of the emotionally draining calls...u got a glorified babysitter telling u sign this write up u missed quota by .37%
1 year and 8 months, they called me a hero.
Хаха, братле, имам предложение за работа в CMSG и се чудя к’во да правя. Тези видеа не помагат със сигурност 😃
Exactly my experience here in India! I got into a sales job and left on 3rd day of the job, because well you are tied to your desk with a'headphone' leash with huge targets.
Me too, I left on the fourth, after 5 weeks of training, and I thought the training was bad lol, sales too.
I work on a call center on Costa Rica for an American company, I go through all of this crap for about $30 a day, and I’m lucky, because that’s a good call center here. Living in a 3rd world economy, working this shit job for a bad pay it’s just not worth the effort, at all, saying sorry to the cx for their mistake, and thanking people just for not treating you like an animal is just not right, and most of the time your work is not even contributing to something important, if it wasn’t because I need the job I’d quit, unfortunately that’s not how it works around here, if you think call centers suck, try working for them on a poor country, they would you treat you like a rat, because they can... Great video man, thanks for letting people know about these horrible places
Sorry to hear that your experiencing so many bad things. I feel for you.
I feel you...and its gets worst when can actually detect your accent. Ugh, "From where are you?" to "Can I speak to an american? :)"
Hey Gabriel i live in Guatemala, same story, working in a call center in a 3rd World country is horrible lol
Yeah, that also feels terrible man, trying to help someone and they won't even want the help cause your accent says you are not qualified or smart enough to do the job, that's messed up!
@@gabrielsoto2236 yeah i know, next year ill be graduating from college and hopefully out of this hell soon, i hope you can get out too and wish you the best
The thing that fries my brain the most is that 1) most customers don't get to the point and tell lots of irrelevant information about nothing, and 2) they can't even explain what they want when they call -- they use completely different terms interchangeably and send you up the garden path
Very true. They say all this BS like they think we give a crap about their lives.
I'm watching this as I get through my day. Doing Service Desk is one of the more challenging call centers I've ever worked for. Help desk/service desk gets a rep for being a chill job, it is not. One call resolutions, multiple tickets for one call, hour long convos. I've been doing this for years, and this video is encouraging me to make the right change.
Accurate AF. I tell people this stuff and they think I'm exaggerating/hyperbolic. They are ALL run this way.
Straight sweatshops. Been doing it since 2012.
Currently been working in a call center for about a year now, wake up every morning dreading everything about it. Getting scolded daily for things you can’t control is tough. Company only cares about the numbers, not employee happiness. We’re replaceable and underpaid in my opinion. Currently looking for other opportunities but Covid makes it tough. 🙃
Also get a 2% raise. Yep, you saw that correctly 2%!!! What a nice way to reward their employees working at the gates of hell
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS! Very much cathartic for me and I'm sure for a lot of other "Call Center Survivors." Please keep 'em coming!!!
Thanks.
I worked from home doing tech support calls for about 6 months. About 4 months in I was ready to quit My initial plan was to stay 6 months so I could get enough experience to help me land a decent IT job. The company I worked for was constantly changing policies, changing peoples schedules, changed the call flow from a decent one with a few minutes between calls to back to back calls nonstop all day. I got lucky and got a IT job. I gave the company a one week notice, but couldn't handle it quit in the middle of my next shift. Never been so relieved.
I am glad you escaped and hope you like what you’re doing now.
@@Ptpop Thank you! I really enjoy what I do now. It's the best job I've ever had!
My last day was my best day. I cannot tell you how much better I felt. Was a total pain shipping the equipment back because trying to get ahold of the department that handles that was awful
I've been in a call center for 3 months and I've hated it since day one of being on the phones. I knew I would have it too, but I needed the money. I going to quit soon myself tho.
I did 2 weeks of paid training and thought I'd give it a go cause I needed a job. After training I was put onto the call center floor to start answering calls using a broken handset, on a computer system I had no training on. The customers were ranting on the phone over issues I didn't know about. Got me feeling pissed off and frustrated all day because of it. The managers were useless, only caring about sales and targets just to cover their own asses. They tell you one thing and then say another. I basically quit after my 1st day. I knew what it was about. Complete bullshit. The call center I was worked at had a high turn over rate too. They recruited 60-70 people every month. Most people leave within the first week and I'm not surprised why.
Thanks for watching. You’re not not alone. Many if not all the call centers are like that. I have never been able to figure out why.
Same, I too had 2 weeks of paid training, but my first calls were so stressful, i don't want to keep doing this.
I have the same story
I just quit my last call center job, I had a manager who would choose not to help us, she would lie to us about company policies, and never be at her desk. The same with the operation managers, would get up every 10 mins for smoke breaks, lmao everyone from management there were terrible, no help from HR or anyone if you needed days off for religious or medical purposes, if you weren’t their favorite then tough luck, getting the time off you need. I was sick and tired of all the bull in that job, horrible experience...would not recommend, this video is so relatable
You are a call center survivor. Thanks for watching.
It is uncanny how accurate this is for the call center where I used to work.
+Richard /rr Thanks for watching. They are all identical. It doesn't matter which industry or what country you work in.
My family is pressuring me to work in a call center but I have heard horrible stories there and then and I don't like it. They think it's an easy job lmao
It’s not an easy job. Be true to yourself.
This guy is absolutely right about everything! call centers are terrible.
I been working at call center for three years. I hated the phone ringing, managers, and customers. The customers were horrible. I almost was rushed to the hospital because of my health condition. The call center gave me migraine baldy I had to get off of the phones to clear my head before I explode. I only need the job to pay my bills. I be feeling like a robot when repeating the same thing over, especially at home. But thank you jesus I don't deal with people anymore. Because I doing a government job where I do research on taxpayer account on the computer. So after that I don't talk to people anymore.
Glad it worked out beautiful(:
@@brandonbates9259 thank you
Hello! How did you find a job as a research on taxpayer account on the computer? I left call center today I couldn’t handle it and the people
@@YuriHeart3 I just find a government job on usa jobs
I was laughing throughout this video because it's so accurate
+Silver Surfer Glad I made you laugh. I should make one about all he weird people who work there too.
Yes, please do a video on that!
Ha! Ha! how about all of the hair colors! Lots of folks dyeing their hair to look like Anime characters.
@@Ptpop Like the fat woman who walks around with a cane and eats Doritos. LOL.
I have worked in call centers for around ten years, I couldn’t agree more with this guy, this year I started working on a totally different area, my only regret is I didn’t make that decision before.
Thanks for watching.
I work at a bank call center in Germany and all you said is absolutely true. Especially the description of the supervisor is so damn accurate. Will try my best to find another job.
Pete, Yeah....If I have to use the restroom outside of my break time I get a "coaching" stating "do you have a problem? do we need to split your break time in half so you can use the restroom twice in one day"? Like splitting the break time in half would give you enough time to get to the restroom and back!
+Mary Anne Cochran madness
This is true. I had a friend who worked in US Cellular’s financial services call center and they reprimanded him for taking too many restroom brakes.
@@thomasduncan4074 I used to work in US cell too! They are by far the worst call center dept to work for!
This video was what I needed as confirmation. I worked at a company for years. Exceeded all their metrics and still got shit from them. There was always something that I wasn't doing good enough. I had one manager tried to get me fired 17 times. The mental and emotional turmoil I experienced and the feeling of not being able to trust anyone. Scared to open to anyone at all. And anytime I tried to get promoted they capped me on some BS.
I left and did some film studies. Life put me back at a call center because at the end of the day. No matter how well you do. No matter how long you work there. You leave with only enough experience to join another call center and repeat the process. It's a toxic cycle. And I am just over this BS.
Very true and very well said. I experienced the exact same thing. No matter how hard you try you slide back to the bottom of the heap.
It’s just like In Greek mythology Sisyphus or Sisyphos (/ˈsɪsɪfəs/; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος Sísuphos) was the king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness by being forced to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll down when it nears the top, repeating this action for eternity.
Keep applying elsewhere!
Just watched the whole video and really loved how you portrayed call centres as that is exactly what they are and most things said are parallel to what I went through to with managers/supervisors not liking you or trying to downgrade you if you are good at the job your doing.
It's disgusting and despicable that they do that and get away with that and also in regards to the breaks, I remember how quickly they went in and their was literally just enough time to go to the toilet and barely any time to eat lunch.
I'm glad I had left when I did as they are all terrible places to work unless the manager likes you and you can get off the phone for a bit
Thanks for watching. I must be a masochist because I kept trying different places thinking they would be different but they weren't. It's interesting to know there is no difference in the U.K.
Omg EVERYTHING you said is soooooo spot on!!! The accuracy is crazy. Call centers are a different kind of hell.
I know. It’s hard to believe but it’s true.
I once had a guy repeat his story for 45 minutes straight at least 30 times in a row. I was mind blown. I was told to keep assisting him and the found out there’s a protocol for customers who repeat themselves. And I’m seriously amazed there are people who are rude and repeat themselves over and over again. That’s completely insane! My call center job changed my feelings about humanity, I actually became a very dark person inside. Btw, working my job has taught me how to try my best to be the best customer ever because I know the person who answered either cussed right before answering me, or rolled their eyes. The only time I put pressure on the other end is when they aren’t doing their job, but if I made a mistake, I’d never take out my frustration about the company on the worker.
Omg The dame thing happened to me. People repeating themselves over and over again. If
Definitely gave me a different and dark view of humanity as well. I try to be nice when I call a canter too.
I just quit an "IT Support" job that was really just an undercover call center. I barely made it 2 months before I quit, most miserable experience of my professional life
I hear ya.
I work for Spectrum and this man didn't tell a single lie (although I do get a 1 hr lunch and a very cool sup lol).
The only reason I still work there is because I've been working from home ever since I started, after 2 months of being at the CC I was sent home. As soon as they ask me to come back in the center I am OUT.
Thankfully they moved us to a different dept so im taking far less calls a day and have tons of idle time and the Sup is cool. Im planning to quit literally any day now but going back to the CC is automatic quit haha.
Thanks for watching.
The secret to call center work is to treat it as a placeholder job: Work your shift, then go looking for your next job. In the meantime, you still get paid.
Boss yelling at you? Ignore it, you get paid.
Dragged into HR for not meeting targets? Ignore it, you get paid.
Office politics in play? Ignore it, you get paid.
Sick as a dog and can't come in, threatened with being fired? Stay home, you get PTO.
Get fired anyway? Who cares, you already have several leads for a better job.
Last it out but get a better job? Jump ship, get paid better.
Call centers are nice for your first job, or the unemployment insurance is running out, or your job search is taking longer than your finances can hold. Its money in the pocket, experience at what corporate culture is like, and gives you skills for retail or service industries. Heck, if you luck out and get tech support training, you can fluff that into a junior IT admin position that pays triple.
The worst thing you can do is treat this as a career, unless you manage to get off the phones. Otherwise, you will last three years tops before they replace you with someone that doesn't cost as much.
I'm doing just that and I received a job offer elsewhere! I'm past done of call centers!!!
WORD
I work fulltime in a Call Center for around 7 Years now. And to be honest, i have nightmares to go to work there. I´ve ruined my right shoulder joint, having tinitus in my left ear, i can only hear 40% in my right ear, having hallucinations, my hairs are white now, need sedatives to now having panic attacks, getting migraine attacks like a swiss clockwork. Before this job i was kind and friendly to pretty much anyone, but now i´m a mean, sarcastic and agressive A**hole. Things like empathy are pretty much gone. And all this for a few cents above the minimum income. In the beginning the job was fun and i liked it, but now, i daily pray to the lord above that they say they gonna lay me off. Reasons: i don´t get any unemployment benefit if i quit. If i quit the job from my side, i get a penalty for this. No kidding. I´m pretty much stuck on it. From all those who started with me at the company i´m the only one still left there. All the things you said, simply everything, i can absolute and total agree on it. If they fire me, i will thank the good lord above for this.
If you ever want to chat, you can contact me @Kantai Musume.
I experienced tension headaches working in a call center, and I never even knew what those were until I got them and had to research my symptoms online. A tension headache is a specific type of headache induced by stress that occurs in certain parts of the forehead.
My head would feel numb and hazy, but also painful like there was pressure on my skull. I also remember seeing paramedics haul people away at the call center about 3-4 times. I never knew what health conditions they had, but I could imaged that if you had a chronic health condition the call center environment will make it worse.