Ever worked at a Call Center?

[PrettyGirlJean]

Hi all,

Well a week after training with the Kirby Company (wow, they really suckered me in before I realized just who they were), I've quit and since gotten a new job. This job is at a call center for market research. I really thought it would be awesome to ask for people's opinions and with that in mind I didn't mind the low part time pay of $7/hr... but man, I didn't realize how hateful and disrespectful people could be... I don't know, I guess I'm a lot more naive than I thought. I had some nice surveys but the harsh ones really put a damper on things.

For instance (and the reason I'm posting to get this off my chest), the auto-dialer called a home and this is how the conversation went:

Me: (introducing myself)
Gentleman: (interupting) Where are you at?
Me: Excuse me sir?
Gentleman: Where are you at right now?
Me: I'm in NY sir.
Gentleman: Well, can you drive from there to here and screw me?
Me: (pause) No sir -
Gentleman: (Interupts) Well, this is all a waste of time then isn't it?
Me: I'm sorry for disturbing you sir -
Gentleman: (Interupts again) Right.
Me: Have a pleasant weekend sir.

I know that I'll never meet this guy and chances are pretty good I'll never talk to him again, but that really upset me. I mean, I'd already had calls that told me to never call again and some that said that I was unprofessional as the person I was calling for had been deceased for a long time. Those didn't bother me nearly as much as this one.

If any of you have worked in a call center, have you had an experience like this? I just don't understand... if he didn't want to do the survey then he could've said so (or just hang up like 90% of the people do). I definitely want to find another job now. I don't think I should have to put myself through that sort of thing again. I would never say something so horrible, even to an annoying telemarketer.

On a lighter note, the survey that I was doing was pretty interesting, it involved asking questions pertaining to political polices across the United States.. Some were asking people if they knew a particular person in the news such as George Bush, Hillary Clinton, Bill Frist, etc and then asked if they found them favorable or not. Also, questions about what they thought of abortion and what should be on the top of US leaders agendas in regards to the US. One guy yelled "NOOOOO!" into the phone and slamed it down, but I found that rather amusing. Another caller said that the name of the person I was asking for actually wasn't a person but the name of a bird... The name was Cheyenne something... but all of the people being called for this survey are supposed to be registered voters ^^; I also had a caller the other night who I'm pretty sure was drunk so his answers were pretty entertaining. Another man got mad at me and said that it was 10pm at night and I found out (after looking on the time different sheet we're given) a few minutes later that he just lied, it was actually 7pm.

I'm glad I'm off tomorrow though. I know I've gotta toughen up but man, for my second night on the job it was just sucky. I just haven't been too lucky with jobs since moving to Buffalo. I didn't realize how good I had it at my job in Pittsburgh

Well, I'm just gonna try to stay positive and spend my days looking for another job (I work 5-11pm)... and remember this experience when I get a call from a research place, I never want to make anyone feel like this.

Alrighty, well end of my rant, thanks for listening!

Take care everyone!

[GhaleonOne]

I never worked at one, but I know people who have. I had a friend who said his wife worked at one and had people that did that as well. Though she took calls. Didn't make them.

My brother though, will screw with telemarketers horribly. He'll fake an accent, and try and string them along. Harsh, yes, but honestly, people just don't like telemarketers. He only did it with folks that were adamant about trying to sell us something. Your job sounds more like it's a survey, which isn't that bad IMO. It would still be a crappy, just due to so many rude people I'm sure. I know I couldn't do it.

[PrettyGirlJean]

I never worked at one, but I know people who have. I had a friend who said his wife worked at one and had people that did that as well. Though she took calls. Didn't make them.

My brother though, will screw with telemarketers horribly. He'll fake an accent, and try and string them along. Harsh, yes, but honestly, people just don't like telemarketers. He only did it with folks that were adamant about trying to sell us something. Your job sounds more like it's a survey, which isn't that bad IMO. It would still be a crappy, just due to so many rude people I'm sure. I know I couldn't do it.

Well, I don't think messing with someone is so bad as long as you're not being hateful. I mean if your bro is using a funny accent and whatnot then I think that's pretty harmless. There was a person who answered the phone in perfect english, but then went into broken spanish ^^;

And you're right, we're just market research, no collections or sales. I understand though that we're probably interupting people when they're having dinner and whatnot, but a simple "we're not interested" or "please call back at such and such a time" takes about as long as complaining that I'm calling in the first place Another kind of unfortunate thing is that since we are on an auto-dialer I have no idea where the person is I'm speaking to so at first if they yell at me for calling too late (like the guy who said it was 10pm) I don't really have a clue if he's telling the truth or not. I made sure to reschedule the mean people for my days off ... Im sure I'll get plenty more angry people though.

[Kizyr]

The thing is, with telemarketers, the job really is crappy. That's why there's the atrocious turnover rate and high salaries ($15/hr or more) don't compensate for it.

For a telemarketer, you have your boss breathing down your neck to make enough sales. You yourself know that only a few people are going to buy your product over the phone. And lastly, you have your "clients" you call breathing down your neck for disturbing them. Me, I just ask politely to put me on a 'do-not-call' list and thank them for their time and patience. Most telemarketers have enough crap to deal with (when it's really the entire system, or their management, that's the problem) that me adding on a rude response doesn't help any.

That being said, I still really don't like being disturbed by anyone calling besides people I know. KF

[Werefrog]

I've been getting about one call a week from HUD. The first three or so times I told the person that they're calling a dorm room and that I don't think their survey really applies to me(which it really doesn't). I kept getting these calls and starting hanging up. Now I say that I have to get something out of the oven and to call back later.

I've had a lot of friends that are telemarketers. They all quit or were fired within a month. It's definitely not something I would want to do for a living, but I think it would make a decent summer job. Better than Taco Bell at least.

[PrettyGirlJean]

Yeah for now it's fine I think for about a month or so while I'm continuing to look. I don't think I can take many more evenings like last night. I don't even get paid a lot either so there's really nothing that beneficial about the job, the only reason I took it was for the money (and because I thought it would be a neat new experience... new yes, neat no >_<). Gotta pay the bills... it's just so hard finding a decent job here! I got a call from a temp agency I was with the same day (just after agreeing to work for the market research place) that was a 2-week temp job 9-5 m-f for $9/hr... I'm wondering what drugs I was on for not taking it now... but live and learn I suppose. I'm going to call them first thing tomorrow and let them know if they can arrange for me to have something in two weeks then I'm all for it... that way I can give this place a two-week notice since they ask for one.... although I think a week and a half is more than enough time too.

Even though we're just doing surveys it still sounds a lot like a telemarketer job anyhow. We're all in a large room with the supervisors walking around. We get messages every so often that we have to make more completes or they threaten to write us up and send us home I really didn't like that... granted, I don't think it happened to anyone, but I really think that that's unprofessional. I mean, we can't MAKE anyone take the survey, being really nice sometimes still doesn't cut it.

[Rune Lai]

It's not a job I would recommend. I know people who work in customer support, which is something of the other way around since you have irate people calling them, but it can't be any better doing the calling yourself.

Personally, I put myself on do-not-call lists and make use of caller ID. If the number is unknown or I don't recognize it, I don't answer. After all, if the person really needs to talk to me, they'll leave a message and I can call them right back.

I'm the sort of person who hates to be interrupted when I'm doing something so I generally don't react well to telemarketers or survey people. Fortunately, they're usually unknown numbers on caller ID so I rarely hear from them.

[PrettyGirlJean]

Personally, I put myself on do-not-call lists and make use of caller ID. If the number is unknown or I don't recognize it, I don't answer. After all, if the person really needs to talk to me, they'll leave a message and I can call them right back.

I'm the sort of person who hates to be interrupted when I'm doing something so I generally don't react well to telemarketers or survey people. Fortunately, they're usually unknown numbers on caller ID so I rarely hear from them.

Well, just to let you know, I found out that the do-not-call lists don't apply to Market Research callers. People got angry and said they were on a do-not-call list, but since Market Research isn't selling anything, they are still allowed to call. I didn't know that until I started working there. From my experience so far, if you just flat out refuse to take the survey (you have to be the person that the surveyor is asking for though [if they ask for someone in particular]) then I don't believe they call back. But if you hang up or say you're not interested and hang up then you're listed as a call back... at least that's how they do it at the place I work. Also, whenever a answering machine is reached it's listed as a call back.

Again though, I don't feel that I'll be working at this place for long, just enough to pay next months rent and long enough to find an office job... it seems I'll probably feel most comfortable at one of those at least for now. That's where I have all of my experience anyway.

[Agawa]

It's not a job I would recommend. I know people who work in customer support, which is something of the other way around since you have irate people calling them, but it can't be any better doing the calling yourself.
.

A bunch of my friends work in customer support as well, and I find it rather strange how many people call them up only to scream. You'd think they'd be a bit nicer to people who are trying to help them, and not responsible for their troubles to begin with...
Honestly though, if there's one thing that I don't, it's when people don't have respect for workers. I don't understand why people find it necessary to take stuff out constantly on cashiers and telemarkers, when just a simple 'I'm sorry, but I'm rather busy now' would suffice.

Anyway, good luck with that job. I hope it starts getting a little less stressful.

[phyco126]

I never worked at a call center (aside for taking calls for Jerry Louis Telethon thingy a few years back,) however I did work at a hotel You get the same kind of rude and obnoxious people who call or you end up calling. It sucks really. However, telemarketing is pretty bad too. I don't get bothered by them though, as I have a cell phone and only a cell phone. Though, collection people do call about 20-30 times a day (I kid you not.)

[Angelalex242]

I'm among those who use humor to discourage telemarketers.

There was the time I happened to be reading Tolkien at the time, so I flipped to a page full of the elvish language, and replied to everything they said in Elvish.

[phyco126]

Hehe, actually, I can never be cruel to telemarketers, but one of my favorite ways to foil a telemarketer's plot is to go along with their call, say let me grab the credit card, then put the phone down and "forget" about the call

[wisequark]

i've actually used lines like that before. i get on average 10-15 calls a day from telemarketers and believe me, it gets REALLY frustrating when you tell them "I'm not interested" and they keep going and going and going...

and while yes, hanging up solves the problem sometimes you just need to release your "attitude" on the person. particularly when its one person from vermont trying to sell me satellite service that i already own and who calls EVERY OTHER DAY.

[Agawa]

i've actually used lines like that before. i get on average 10-15 calls a day from telemarketers and believe me, it gets REALLY frustrating when you tell them "I'm not interested" and they keep going and going and going...

Ugh, I used to get the same amount when I lived down in the US. What we did was buy an answering machine, and tell all of our friends that we wouldn't pick up until we knew it was them. Worked like a charm.

[Werefrog]

Wisequark, you do know there's a "Do not call list", right? (I can never find the appropriate emoticon here, but I think that works).

I wonder how long it will be until they outsource telemarketers. Can't be long (perhaps some companies already have?).

[PrettyGirlJean]

Werefrog makes a good point. Telemarketers by law can't call you since they're of course trying to sell you something...however, Market Research is not included, so in order for you to not receive a callback for a particular survey just say you refuse to do the servey and to please take you off their call list. That will not stop you from getting calls in the future for surveys, but hanging up, saying not interested, or just not picking up doesn't always work (although the latter would work best of the three). Chances are if you hang up without saying anything the person calling you will just set a recall for the most inconvenient time they can think of. That is what the ladies that have been working there since I started do.

Basically, even if it's annoying to do so, in the end a moments patience and niceness will prove more beneficial. Although, I really can't speak for telemarketers ^^;

Oh and if by chance I call any of you I apologize in advance! ^^*

[Kizyr]

Oh and if by chance I call any of you I apologize in advance! ^^*

You call me and I'm gonna ask for your number. KF

[PrettyGirlJean]

Why on earth would you want my number? Market Research people call me too! Really!

Just this morning I took a 2 minute survey (although it sucked because it was a recording and not a person) that said that OJ Simpson is looking for a new residence in WNY and asked whether I would welcome him or not. Since there wasn't an "I don't care/indifferent" option I just said yes. I don't think it really affects me. Apparently, the survey results will be broadcast on one of the local news channels this weekend.