call centre stories
Today was one of the admin girls' last day, so we went as a team out to Boston Pizza for fishbowl Friday to see her off. It was a lot of fun, and it's actually really surprising how much camraderie the team has. There are always plans for team events and stuff, I found out that they will often go to movies too! I think it comes from being able to talk to each other while working, as it's pretty common to talk while doing entry.
It was an interesting night because for a while we had our centre manager as well as our unit manager for a little while too. I didn't see the centre manager for long since she was there earlier than I was, and the unit manager only stayed for a couple drinks. Our team supervisor was there basically all night and wow. I really really love this team and it's almost physically painful thinking about having to leave to go back on the phones sobbb.
The thing about having a bunch of people who work at a call centre together is that invariably what happens is you start sharing call centre stories. Most people who work at call centres have probably worked at a few different ones, and there are always horror stories of customers or of coworkers or even just conditions. Call centres are essentially engines of human misery, designed to test the limits of just how far you can push someone before they snap in some fashion (whether from rude people or horrible staff/supervisors or awful conditions). Sharing call centre stories is like comparing scars in a way, trying to see who has the worst experience. It's a mutual catharsis, because you're in sympathetic company.
We all shared stories, I think it started out talking about weird/pervert calls that we've had... and I had a lot of them when I worked Sundays at Startek (as well as during training when we were on the phones till 11:30pm), and then it went from there. It went more the staff/conditions route which I don't have a lot of horror stories with - my experiences were more with the customer side and the fact that the policies were so awful you were basically set up to be screamed at constantly. Really, though, Startek wasn't as bad as some other places I've heard about, especially 24/7 or Sears. Quill has been fantastic, I think I can count on one hand the instances I've had and even those are amusing now that I look back... oh angry lawyer, you were so angry!
It was an interesting night because for a while we had our centre manager as well as our unit manager for a little while too. I didn't see the centre manager for long since she was there earlier than I was, and the unit manager only stayed for a couple drinks. Our team supervisor was there basically all night and wow. I really really love this team and it's almost physically painful thinking about having to leave to go back on the phones sobbb.
The thing about having a bunch of people who work at a call centre together is that invariably what happens is you start sharing call centre stories. Most people who work at call centres have probably worked at a few different ones, and there are always horror stories of customers or of coworkers or even just conditions. Call centres are essentially engines of human misery, designed to test the limits of just how far you can push someone before they snap in some fashion (whether from rude people or horrible staff/supervisors or awful conditions). Sharing call centre stories is like comparing scars in a way, trying to see who has the worst experience. It's a mutual catharsis, because you're in sympathetic company.
We all shared stories, I think it started out talking about weird/pervert calls that we've had... and I had a lot of them when I worked Sundays at Startek (as well as during training when we were on the phones till 11:30pm), and then it went from there. It went more the staff/conditions route which I don't have a lot of horror stories with - my experiences were more with the customer side and the fact that the policies were so awful you were basically set up to be screamed at constantly. Really, though, Startek wasn't as bad as some other places I've heard about, especially 24/7 or Sears. Quill has been fantastic, I think I can count on one hand the instances I've had and even those are amusing now that I look back... oh angry lawyer, you were so angry!