I had a friend who went to lunch and never came back. I thought that shit was awesome see the managers panic because they don't have enough reps to take calls.
Why do we have to apologize to everything when 99% of the situation is not our fault, I know we are representativesbut people treat us like we were the ones who caused the problem to be honest...the moment someone started to make a fight on the line of started to talk crap i simply disconnected the Ethernet cable from the computer and make it look like an accident... And i was never caught for doing that
Ugh... the dismal environment. I came from a mechanic’s background. 20 years as an auto tech. Anyone who’s ever worked in a shop before knows the environment: laid back, lots of practical jokes, music blaring, lots of foul language, farting and nasty jokes, loud.... I love it. Call center was the polar opposite... you could barely hear the radio, silence... no time for jokes, you can’t even take 30 seconds to say hi to the guy who sits next to you.... it’s depressing. I did it for 3 months and went back to fixing cars.
I just got hired at a call center job. My first one. Training was 3 weeks. I quit after a week and a half. I could already tell they was on some micromanaging bs. Not to mention a good 3-5 ppl from my training class disappeared before I did.
I know. That's how I feel when I get all of the positive feedback on my videos. i thought I was the only one that was miserable and thought the job was crazy. Then I started to make these videos and found out that people form all over the world were miserable too. Not that I want people to be miserable. It would be nice if some corporation found a better way to run a call center.
I always found it unnerving how Big Brother was always looking over my shoulder waiting for me to do something wrong. I’ll never forget that call where a nurse in a hospital called to have her fax machine fixed. It was on a Friday after hours and the hospital was not authorized to have after hours service. This woman screamed at me, “Do you know YOU are putting patients lives at risk?” How do you respond to that? That call ruined my weekend. Many a call would ruin my weekends. It got so bad it would take 2 to 3 days to mentally recover from a bad call.
I remember during training at my first call centre one of the business managers said, "it's a hard job I wouldn't be able to do it." It's the damn hardest job in there. I know having done Admin where there is no stress. People are fools to think the CEO is stressing out more. Stress levels generally increase the further down the ladder you go. Must be a reason only the agents are handed stress balls. There was also a sign saying, 'remember the customer is the greatest asset.' Thanks for the responsibility I thought. I hope the industry goes fully automated and is wiped out. Love the videos and read your eBook. Funniest thing I've read in ages! Should be a mandatory study material before the interview.
Most of the time the training rooms are in a basement as well. On top of that, some of the people are using the company computers to look for other jobs.
I am SOOOOO grateful that I no longer work in a call centre. I worked 6 months for a bank and every morning to work I would wish that I would get run over. Despite having a great manager, a good team, and a zero tolerance policy for abusive customers; it was still a demoralizing job. The beep before each call was like a stab to my soul. And the metrics! Those bastard metrics which reduce you to a percentage on a screen. But the worst part were the crusty old managers who only became managers because they just happened to be there. Who literally did fuck all and would pawn you off to somebody else because being off the phones for so long made them lazy and complacent. The turn over rate at my call centre was insane, despite being one of the better ones. You would see these bright new faces on the floor with their very chipper trainer and you could tell that they were fed the same sweet shite as you were. Once they realised what the job demanded from them, they were never seen again and who could blame them. I think I was the few left from my training group and I don't know what made me stay for so long. I was either a masochist or scared that I wouldn't be able to afford my weekly McDonald's habit otherwise. Anyway, my shitty job meant I got to find your videos which helped a lot during my time of torment so cheers 👍🏼
I slaved for vzw for almost 10 years and by the end I was looking for ways to get out of coming to work. I worked overnights from 6p-5a, and I always said that I worked from 6p-11p and babysat from 12a-5a. I know of at least 3 people that passed while working there, literally passed while taking calls. It's a hellish environment, and Pete is spot on with everything he says.
It will be a cold day in hell before I ever work at a call center again. I remember when my calls were reviewed, the “coach“ would always give me some idiotic cartoon or toy to place in my cubicle to look at so I would remember whatever it was I wasn’t doing quite right. Of course, nothing I did was ever good enough.
My trainer and supervisor would say on the daily during onboarding, "are you guys ready?" Then literally a few hours later, "do you think you guys are ready?" As a person with anxiety, those words repeatedly said makes me go insane. Funny thing is that I am not new to the call center job. I am a rehire. So, I know the job well. But those words alone... ugh
I am back on your videos a year later bc I quit both my call center jobs on week 2-3 of training. You’re so spot on about them cramming a semester of work into 2-3 weeks. My second call center job was remote and I began to dread logging on in the morning….WORKING FROM HOME. DURING TRAINING. The thought of staring at a computer for 8 hours, watching the trainer rush thru PowerPoint slides and tell us “don’t worry, we don’t expect you to memorize any of this.” You’re absolutely right about you not being able to miss one day bc they go over so much in one day. Didn’t feel right.
Coming back after a 8 minute break Im thinking, "This time I can make myself enjoy this and succeed!" Like going back to a chicken carcass and expecting new unfound morsels.
in the philippines we dont have that term, they use attrition. And people just bail. Just discovered your channel yesterday on my 15min break, im laughing but crying inside
As soon as you explained the transition from training to the floor, it's a jarring sensation. They're always hiring, and I'm continuously glad I fought against my parents' coercion to work in a call center just because it would pay better. Also, I must say I love the running joke of Mr. Oingo Boingo.
i've worked for verizon and capital one so far, and both my trainings were about three months total before hitting production. for me it's just a job but some people seem to genuinely enjoy it--and I don't mean just the people who aren't on the phones. Some people enjoy being on the phones and it blows my freaking mind
I’ve been in training classes where people have panicked before taking calls, I’ve seen a girl break down in tears during training to take her first call. Lol I work from home in a call center like environment and the only good thing is I can say how I really feel about the call in the comfort of my own home
The supervisors I have had were absolutely crazy. For example, I remember one day in training when we had a break and I was checking my phone. At that time, the crazy Spanish supervisor from the call center stormed into the training room and started shouting at me about checking my phone. She screamed "ALICATO, IF YOU USE THAT PHONE AROUND ME WHEN YOU HIT THE FLOOR, YOU WILL BE GONE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!" I never had a supervisor who was even the least bit sane or intelligent.
This is why I am a correctional officer now way easier. Verizon call center really sucks that survey drives that call. I can tell people no all day now.
*Shudder* ...bad memories. I have worked in various call centers and can relate to everything here. Especially when they want to pull you aside and discuss one of your recorded phone calls *cringe*. One place where I worked would record our calls, and each time they’d pull me aside, it was to further dissect the EXACT SAME phone call that we had already discussed the last time we spoke! Not mention those ridiculous metrics/phone reports. It had all gotten to be too much for me-fortunately, I was able to get into another line of work. I will never set foot in another call center as long as I live.
Dude. The last 3 nights in a row you have had me in tears. From 17 minutes to 19 minutes in, you are just spot on with the it. You gotta get more material like that.🤣 I can't stop laughing!
You are DEAD OONN!!!...I love your videos. I JUST quit one right after the Dreaded training class of too much information!!..It was my 1st call center job...but I ran outta there!.. now I'm back being a Nursing Assistant...Never Again!!
Dang…i didnt even recognize some of these details. The windowless rooms and bright fluorescent lights. I am familiar with the overload of information in like 2 weeks. One class was just five days. When you said Aerotek I flinched and the intro also made me flinch lol
I've watched a few of your videos and 100% agree with you. What I find depressing with my situation is that I've worked in two call centres over 5 years ago then decided to go back to education, believing that a degree would at least make me a bit more employable. I got some certificates, got a History degree, applied for loads of jobs and nobody will still employ me. Then what a surprise, the one place that hired me was the same call centre that I worked in 5 years ago and didn't even want to interview me, I just filled in a load of forms and the recruiter said "I'll see you next week." So when you say that "As long as they can see you can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time, they will hire you" I don't even think your trying to be funny because it's really true. I'm still working there now but the contract for the company that I work for within the call centre finishes at the end of November and I think I will be leaving then. I'm just there for the money like most people.
Was really glad to find your videos on this subject. I worked in a couple of call centers in 03-04. I had really bad experiences and man everything you say is dead on!
"Oh Sally just hit deck" lol so true. I've seen heart attacks on the floor several times. Non call center workers can never understand, only those that do this shit gig for a few scraps a week truly understand the daily grind of cc life 🙏
Good vid! I think we need to be aware of the mental health issues that arise from working in call centres. The first few years of call centre work were ok, but like you said the customer has evolved into what I can only describe as a fucktardle beast. This is no lie!! Been treat like the scrapings of shit of someone's shoes, abused and cused at all the time has a massive effect on your mental wellbeing. I left because I'm worth far more than that. Maybe do a vid about this PTPOP???? great channel keep up the good work dude.
What is ironic: taking mandatory sessions about the value of customers. Then having a supervisor review where customer interaction is referred to as waste management.
working in the center at comcast theres alot of turnover cuz the customers can be hard to deal with but the pay and benefits are amazing, i pull damn near 80k a year working 4 days a week
Very accurate, I work for one in the Dominican rep, and is the same, very strssful, why us customers complaint when they find out those jobs are placed overseas, Hello, here the pay is way less ( 3 usdollars/hr), and is the same stress, can u adress that as well!
It's actually the opposite in the company I'm currently in. We share a building with really big name companies like Puma and work in the same office with different departments like sales and hr. It's an open office type with no designated sits and the entire walls are made of glass (curtain wall) with great view of the city. But the actual job itself is about the same lol.
Hello, Im from Philippines just want to share this, there are call centers here that requires you to sign a contract to stay at the company for minimum of 6months to 2yrs(?) at most. It kinda feels like youre not only being caged to work but enslave into it. I dont have that much hate for call center, but i just think its just too much if people here are required to sign up contracts and when they break it they have to financially pay. But well work culture here is different than US, most of us want job experience and even go to call centers or make careers in them I have a relative who worked for call center in a long time. He is now retired and go back to his province hometown to teach english
I worked 20 years in a call center and their metrics are impossible to meet, you are always on the edge. The company bases the metrics off a few people in the call center who are meeting them. Trust me those few that are meeting them are cheating and using short cuts in the customer information system that you are not supposed to do, and are incredibly hard for the bosses to catch, especially when the bosses have been so far removed from being on the phones they have no idea what they are doing. So you if you have any integrity, watch your back you will be written up and threatened with your job. The only way i survived is i only rotated through the call center once in awhile and spent the other time in another department, that actually had integrity and did a different line of work
At Time Life Books I worked selling the series of books in a DC national sales office in the 80s.. cubicles and leads little pieces of paper with customer info and what they bought. If they bought Old West series, youd sell them Civil War or Seafarers. Home Dispair and Destroyment if they bought any war series ect. There was a lifer guy named JJ he always had 30 sales dots by his name on the board by 11am calling pac time early too! He fell down an elevator shaft from a 6 floor, and his ex wife sent the car down after him.
PTPOP that book was awesome!
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
I had a friend who went to lunch and never came back. I thought that shit was awesome see the managers panic because they don't have enough reps to take calls.
lol. I know. See them scurrying around knowing that the loss of one person is going to increase the customers hold time is rather funny to watch.
Why do we have to apologize to everything when 99% of the situation is not our fault, I know we are representativesbut people treat us like we were the ones who caused the problem to be honest...the moment someone started to make a fight on the line of started to talk crap i simply disconnected the Ethernet cable from the computer and make it look like an accident... And i was never caught for doing that
Ugh... the dismal environment. I came from a mechanic’s background. 20 years as an auto tech. Anyone who’s ever worked in a shop before knows the environment: laid back, lots of practical jokes, music blaring, lots of foul language, farting and nasty jokes, loud.... I love it. Call center was the polar opposite... you could barely hear the radio, silence... no time for jokes, you can’t even take 30 seconds to say hi to the guy who sits next to you.... it’s depressing. I did it for 3 months and went back to fixing cars.
I just got hired at a call center job. My first one. Training was 3 weeks. I quit after a week and a half. I could already tell they was on some micromanaging bs. Not to mention a good 3-5 ppl from my training class disappeared before I did.
It's great to have validation! When I explain to friends and family how bad my job sucks, they just don"t get it.
I know. That's how I feel when I get all of the positive feedback on my videos. i thought I was the only one that was miserable and thought the job was crazy. Then I started to make these videos and found out that people form all over the world were miserable too. Not that I want people to be miserable. It would be nice if some corporation found a better way to run a call center.
I always found it unnerving how Big Brother was always looking over my shoulder waiting for me to do something wrong. I’ll never forget that call where a nurse in a hospital called to have her fax machine fixed. It was on a Friday after hours and the hospital was not authorized to have after hours service. This woman screamed at me, “Do you know YOU are putting patients lives at risk?” How do you respond to that? That call ruined my weekend. Many a call would ruin my weekends. It got so bad it would take 2 to 3 days to mentally recover from a bad call.
Was in training for 3 weeks with 22 other people, less than nine months later only 7 of us were left.
Thats right. I was coached after clocking back into work 0.36 seconds late. I KID YOU NOT
I remember during training at my first call centre one of the business managers said, "it's a hard job I wouldn't be able to do it." It's the damn hardest job in there. I know having done Admin where there is no stress. People are fools to think the CEO is stressing out more. Stress levels generally increase the further down the ladder you go. Must be a reason only the agents are handed stress balls. There was also a sign saying, 'remember the customer is the greatest asset.' Thanks for the responsibility I thought. I hope the industry goes fully automated and is wiped out. Love the videos and read your eBook. Funniest thing I've read in ages! Should be a mandatory study material before the interview.
I quit my call centre job too . I feel happy
Most of the time the training rooms are in a basement as well. On top of that, some of the people are using the company computers to look for other jobs.
Spent 3 1/2 years in a call center and everything you say is 100 % correct.
Thanks and thanks for watching.
I am SOOOOO grateful that I no longer work in a call centre. I worked 6 months for a bank and every morning to work I would wish that I would get run over. Despite having a great manager, a good team, and a zero tolerance policy for abusive customers; it was still a demoralizing job. The beep before each call was like a stab to my soul. And the metrics! Those bastard metrics which reduce you to a percentage on a screen. But the worst part were the crusty old managers who only became managers because they just happened to be there. Who literally did fuck all and would pawn you off to somebody else because being off the phones for so long made them lazy and complacent.
The turn over rate at my call centre was insane, despite being one of the better ones. You would see these bright new faces on the floor with their very chipper trainer and you could tell that they were fed the same sweet shite as you were. Once they realised what the job demanded from them, they were never seen again and who could blame them. I think I was the few left from my training group and I don't know what made me stay for so long. I was either a masochist or scared that I wouldn't be able to afford my weekly McDonald's habit otherwise. Anyway, my shitty job meant I got to find your videos which helped a lot during my time of torment so cheers 👍🏼
I worked at alorica and I was treated so badly by my manager and trainer I quit after 7 weeks i quit 2 days ago I'm still trying to recover mentally
Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I feel for you. It’s bad and it will take a while to recover.
I slaved for vzw for almost 10 years and by the end I was looking for ways to get out of coming to work. I worked overnights from 6p-5a, and I always said that I worked from 6p-11p and babysat from 12a-5a. I know of at least 3 people that passed while working there, literally passed while taking calls. It's a hellish environment, and Pete is spot on with everything he says.
It will be a cold day in hell before I ever work at a call center again. I remember when my calls were reviewed, the “coach“ would always give me some idiotic cartoon or toy to place in my cubicle to look at so I would remember whatever it was I wasn’t doing quite right. Of course, nothing I did was ever good enough.
My trainer and supervisor would say on the daily during onboarding, "are you guys ready?" Then literally a few hours later, "do you think you guys are ready?" As a person with anxiety, those words repeatedly said makes me go insane. Funny thing is that I am not new to the call center job. I am a rehire. So, I know the job well. But those words alone... ugh
I am back on your videos a year later bc I quit both my call center jobs on week 2-3 of training. You’re so spot on about them cramming a semester of work into 2-3 weeks. My second call center job was remote and I began to dread logging on in the morning….WORKING FROM HOME. DURING TRAINING. The thought of staring at a computer for 8 hours, watching the trainer rush thru PowerPoint slides and tell us “don’t worry, we don’t expect you to memorize any of this.” You’re absolutely right about you not being able to miss one day bc they go over so much in one day. Didn’t feel right.
Coming back after a 8 minute break Im thinking, "This time I can make myself enjoy this and succeed!"
Like going back to a chicken carcass and expecting new unfound morsels.
in the philippines we dont have that term, they use attrition. And people just bail. Just discovered your channel yesterday on my 15min break, im laughing but crying inside
As soon as you explained the transition from training to the floor, it's a jarring sensation. They're always hiring, and I'm continuously glad I fought against my parents' coercion to work in a call center just because it would pay better. Also, I must say I love the running joke of Mr. Oingo Boingo.
i've worked for verizon and capital one so far, and both my trainings were about three months total before hitting production. for me it's just a job but some people seem to genuinely enjoy it--and I don't mean just the people who aren't on the phones. Some people enjoy being on the phones and it blows my freaking mind
I’ve been in training classes where people have panicked before taking calls, I’ve seen a girl break down in tears during training to take her first call. Lol I work from home in a call center like environment and the only good thing is I can say how I really feel about the call in the comfort of my own home
I’ve seen women pass out the first day in the phones . Not sure why but they have.
The supervisors I have had were absolutely crazy. For example, I remember one day in training when we had a break and I was checking my phone. At that time, the crazy Spanish supervisor from the call center stormed into the training room and started shouting at me about checking my phone. She screamed "ALICATO, IF YOU USE THAT PHONE AROUND ME WHEN YOU HIT THE FLOOR, YOU WILL BE GONE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!" I never had a supervisor who was even the least bit sane or intelligent.
I know. I have seen that hundreds of time. Most supers are a few bricks short of a football bat. lol
This is why I am a correctional officer now way easier. Verizon call center really sucks that survey drives that call. I can tell people no all day now.
*Shudder* ...bad memories. I have worked in various call centers and can relate to everything here. Especially when they want to pull you aside and discuss one of your recorded phone calls *cringe*. One place where I worked would record our calls, and each time they’d pull me aside, it was to further dissect the EXACT SAME phone call that we had already discussed the last time we spoke! Not mention those ridiculous metrics/phone reports. It had all gotten to be too much for me-fortunately, I was able to get into another line of work. I will never set foot in another call center as long as I live.
I must read Press One for Murder. I feel it will be cathartic.
Please do.www.amazon.com/Press-One-Murder-Peter-Tompkins-ebook/dp/B07F7LYFXN
Absolutely correct, i'm working in one in México and is exactly like that. Thank you!!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. It's bad in Mexico too?
No learning curves in training; only dismissal curves.
Dude. The last 3 nights in a row you have had me in tears. From 17 minutes to 19 minutes in, you are just spot on with the it. You gotta get more material like that.🤣 I can't stop laughing!
Wow, thank you
You are DEAD OONN!!!...I love your videos. I JUST quit one right after the Dreaded training class of too much information!!..It was my 1st call center job...but I ran outta there!.. now I'm back being a Nursing Assistant...Never Again!!
Dang…i didnt even recognize some of these details. The windowless rooms and bright fluorescent lights. I am familiar with the overload of information in like 2 weeks. One class was just five days. When you said Aerotek I flinched and the intro also made me flinch lol
I've watched a few of your videos and 100% agree with you. What I find depressing with my situation is that I've worked in two call centres over 5 years ago then decided to go back to education, believing that a degree would at least make me a bit more employable. I got some certificates, got a History degree, applied for loads of jobs and nobody will still employ me. Then what a surprise, the one place that hired me was the same call centre that I worked in 5 years ago and didn't even want to interview me, I just filled in a load of forms and the recruiter said "I'll see you next week." So when you say that "As long as they can see you can walk and chew bubblegum at the same time, they will hire you" I don't even think your trying to be funny because it's really true. I'm still working there now but the contract for the company that I work for within the call centre finishes at the end of November and I think I will be leaving then. I'm just there for the money like most people.
Everything you shared is true, especially concerning management the call centers.
I worked for Verizon Wireless in a call center so you hit exactly how it was and those calls you mentioned I clearly remember as well.
Was really glad to find your videos on this subject. I worked in a couple of call centers in 03-04. I had really bad experiences and man everything you say is dead on!
Working in a Call Center currently it fucking sucks I’m applying to work at Walmart or any store but they won’t hire me
"Oh Sally just hit deck" lol so true. I've seen heart attacks on the floor several times. Non call center workers can never understand, only those that do this shit gig for a few scraps a week truly understand the daily grind of cc life 🙏
Good vid! I think we need to be aware of the mental health issues that arise from working in call centres. The first few years of call centre work were ok, but like you said the customer has evolved into what I can only describe as a fucktardle beast. This is no lie!! Been treat like the scrapings of shit of someone's shoes, abused and cused at all the time has a massive effect on your mental wellbeing. I left because I'm worth far more than that. Maybe do a vid about this PTPOP???? great channel keep up the good work dude.
Crazy job to have, takes lots to keep working there...Nice video...no wonder there's such a high turnover..good manager's are hard to come by...
It's a revolving door for the same reason as warehouses and factories. It sucks and everyone treats you like crap.
21:20 is literally the 500 pounders that make everyone else look bad be they have no life and have low self esteem and are aiming to please 😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hi ptpop. Im currently working at at&t combined billing right now. And i can say everything you said in this video is true,
What is ironic: taking mandatory sessions about the value of customers. Then having a supervisor review where customer interaction is referred to as waste management.
working in the center at comcast theres alot of turnover cuz the customers can be hard to deal with but the pay and benefits are amazing, i pull damn near 80k a year working 4 days a week
Very accurate, I work for one in the Dominican rep, and is the same, very strssful, why us customers complaint when they find out those jobs are placed overseas, Hello, here the pay is way less ( 3 usdollars/hr), and is the same stress, can u adress that as well!
You are hilarious too by the way...I love your sense of humour!!
Thanks. Thanks for watching.
It's actually the opposite in the company I'm currently in.
We share a building with really big name companies like Puma
and work in the same office with different departments like sales and hr.
It's an open office type with no designated sits and the entire walls are made of glass (curtain wall) with great view of the city.
But the actual job itself is about the same lol.
hey ptpop can you make a video in depth about HR reps in the call center sometime #callcentersurvivor
Hello, Im from Philippines
just want to share this, there are call centers here that requires you to sign a contract to stay at the company for minimum of 6months to 2yrs(?) at most. It kinda feels like youre not only being caged to work but enslave into it. I dont have that much hate for call center, but i just think its just too much if people here are required to sign up contracts and when they break it they have to financially pay. But well work culture here is different than US, most of us want job experience and even go to call centers or make careers in them
I have a relative who worked for call center in a long time. He is now retired and go back to his province hometown to teach english
One time I knew a guy who went to lunch and never came back. He found himself another job.
It happens all the time.
"Was it a Raizerback Gorrilla?" Lol OMG how funny.
My manager and I have dragging rights. If one of us drops, the other has to drag them off the property so we don’t die in the call center.
I worked 20 years in a call center and their metrics are impossible to meet, you are always on the edge. The company bases the metrics off a few people in the call center who are meeting them. Trust me those few that are meeting them are cheating and using short cuts in the customer information system that you are not supposed to do, and are incredibly hard for the bosses to catch, especially when the bosses have been so far removed from being on the phones they have no idea what they are doing. So you if you have any integrity, watch your back you will be written up and threatened with your job. The only way i survived is i only rotated through the call center once in awhile and spent the other time in another department, that actually had integrity and did a different line of work
The "grandmother and the gorilla" part had me in tears lmao
100% accurate
21:38 the cheeto woman is called Alison
Sounds like Alorica
HA. My training was a day and a half... haha
Poor grandma!!!! lol
Have you seen a satisfied call center agent ?! Well, here it is 🔄😎🎶
At Time Life Books I worked selling the series of books in a DC national sales office in the 80s.. cubicles and leads little pieces of paper with customer info and what they bought.
If they bought Old West series, youd sell them Civil War or Seafarers. Home Dispair and Destroyment if they bought any war series ect.
There was a lifer guy named JJ he always had 30 sales dots by his name on the board by 11am calling pac time early too!
He fell down an elevator shaft from a 6 floor, and his ex wife sent the car down after him.
Whats wrong with empathizing, thats customer service in the nut shell.
If call center jobs are so bad.. why do U keep going back? Leave it to us to decide! Your views.. your opinions 🙄