What is it with telesales jobs in large offices and call-centres?

Worked in customer service for EDF at 2 Touch rather than sales for a year while I waited for my security clearance for my current role to come back, as I knew I could get started there immediately basically and get some money coming in between university and my “proper” graduate job.

Really benefitted me tbh, improved the social side of me that you don’t get at university (not in the same professional way anyway) and it wasn’t the worst job in the world. As I’m a qualified mathematician, they had me off the phones regularly within a few weeks and fixing more complex cases (that weren’t actually complex at all still) around metering issues and backdating bills several years. It was nice really being able to leave the office and not think about work in the slightest until your next shift, something I can only dream of having now.

And I had a young 1 year old at the time, so was a god send to have that extra time at home of only working contracted hours.

In a weird way, was one of the more enjoyable times of my life. Maybe because I joined with a start date for my next job, was honest in interview and said I needed a job for 14 months and I’d then be leaving and they were happy with that too. Mutually beneficial arrangement, as 14 months is probably way longer than their average staff turnover.

Biggest issue for me in there is a lot of the people don’t help themselves - loads phoning in sick, turning up with shit attitudes, not trying to help customers, etc., and just being in a general sulk about the job. If you turn up in a bad mood everyday then there’s only one thing going to happen to your career there

Never a truer word spoken.

Also, I left mine in a good position with a very good relationship. I know if i lost my job tomorrow and rang you they’d find a new role for me. Whilst not perfect, it’s still graft and pays the bills, so you have that extra security behind you. Shouldn’t be overestimated, job security, in having a happy life
Always wonder on this sort of thread.....I did loads of jobs when I was younger and just got on with it.....wasn't always fun but paid enough for what I needed. Loads of people would be lazy or phoning in sick....then wondered why things didn't open up for them. Never worked in a call centre but find it hard to believe they would promote mates all the time over people that work hard and get results (probably the ones that suck up as I've noted :confused:).
 


Always wonder on this sort of thread.....I did loads of jobs when I was younger and just got on with it.....wasn't always fun but paid enough for what I needed. Loads of people would be lazy or phoning in sick....then wondered why things didn't open up for them. Never worked in a call centre but find it hard to believe they would promote mates all the time over people that work hard and get results (probably the ones that suck up as I've noted :confused:).
and do special favours in cheap hotels when away with work
 
I think it's formative to have a really shit job early on in your working life as a reality check. Character building, and you end up with some great stories.

Indeed - I did a year working on a call centre immediately after university while I decided what I wanted to do with my life. It was a good education in how to deal with difficult customers/morons and helped pay off my student overdraft. Call centres have huge staff turnover - after 9 months I was a team supervisor due to my "long service" getting double pay at weekends just to take escalated calls.
 
I worked in a couple for very short periods of times when a young lad. I hated both but there was always the opportunity to get your leg over on a night out (of which there were loads). Swings and roundabouts.
 
Depressing reading that list of jobs is the main source of work now in Sunderland.

My daughter has worked for a well-known bank in a call center in Sunderland (not Barclays) for the last year or so, from the little she has told me it’s exactly as most have described, she has a BA Hons in leadership and management and has had to take a job in a call center due to the shit/nonexistent jobs market in Sunderland (doesn't want to move away) and covid.

Can't see anything changing anytime soon.
 
Call centres are awful places to work. They even monitor to the second how long you spend having a dump and the line managers are pretty much forced to pull you up on taking longer than a few minutes on any given day. They try to remove any inkling of autonomy you might think you have and treat you like your incapable of any ability to think for yourself. It's f***ing soul destroying, I could never blame the line managers for it as they are the same, being forced to act upon certain discretions because of policies and the like they have to follow themselves as well.
Best thing I ever did was leave that all behind and become a nurse, it's a far far tougher job and we all feel underpaid for what we do but the ability to work autonomously, thinking for yourself and not worrying that your shit took 30 seconds longer than the 10 minutes allowed is so much better than working in those places.
 
Hard to tell if this is a parody or serious :lol:
deadly serious.
@Gillythedilf will agree

call centres these days in Sunderland are full of lads who use hand cream, keep a cat as a pet, order cocktails at the pub, meet up for a coffee with the girls for a natter and sit in the back seat instead of driving :lol:

Long gone are the days when we had proper blokes doing manual graft
 

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