Struggling

I've lost count on how many days are we already in our 17-day training because of how hectic and erratic our schedule is. Our trainer and our mentor-in-charge are not even synchronized with our skeds that it's confusing to us. And yes, people have continued to disappear from our batch. We're down to 11 now. So far, 8 have gone, and a lot are planning to leave. I'm still one of those planning to leave, at the same time, I want to stay because as we got to take more calls, the more we're becoming familiar with everything. The quality standards are just so strict, and a whole lot different from all the call centers I've been with, not to mention the erratic policies implemented by the guards. I will not even start ranting about the guards. To quote a fellow teacher before, "Early in the morning, they make my blood boil."

Right now, we're doing better compared to the first days of taking calls. We're starting to get the hang of the calls, but we're still struggling. Struggling since there are a lot of issues we are not familiar with, and struggling since we don't have any pay or even an allowance yet. I am struggling because I have a lot of responsibilities, financial responsibilities. *sigh*

We'll have our last shift for the week a few hours from now and I have only slept for 3 hours. My mom woke up when she arrived to carry all the grocery bags she brought, and now I can't sleep. No, I don't have insomia and yes, I easily fall asleep. I just have a hard time sleeping once I'm already awake and my brain starts to run at full speed again. And having to report later during our technical class is not helping either.

*sigh*

Much Better

Our second day of taking calls was a lot better than the first. I'm still not counting out the possibility of leaving, but at least now, my batchmates and I are slowly adjusting to everything. It's just so sad that everyday, people from our batch is slowly disappearing. We were 19 when we started training, then we were down to 16 when we had the first day of taking calls. Last night, we were down to 14. Even though we've known each other for just a week, the batch is becoming closer and closer every single day, and it's sad to see people - good people - leave.

Tonight, we'll start technical training for one fourth of the shift, while we take calls the rest of the way. I heard that it's going to be like this for the whole 17 supposedly training days. I hope that if ever no one's going to voluntarily leave again, the whole batch will pass and will be endorsed as the newest team on the floor very soon.

Our batch is so diverse that we even have a Filipino-Malaysian batchmate who's a chef by profession. Although our batch is far from being the best, I like the confidence and the positive attitude so far. What my batchmates lack in terms of experience and english proficiency, they make up with their never-say-die attitude.

I have a feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night.

I'm crossing my fingers.

Suicide Queue

The new pay period started the other day, and guess what? We have been given new metrics yet again. The calls for the past couple of weeks have been coming in non-stop because of the client closing millions of accounts. The normal 12 to 24 calls that I receive during weekdays is nothing but a memory. Those Sundays where I would take just 7 to 10 calls are but things in the past. The queue now is simply dizzying, and causing a lot of stress to everyone. And adding to that, the client now gave us metrics that are IMPOSSIBLE to achieve, even by the best and brightest advisors that we have. It's simply telling us that one, they are not willing to give us the bonuses and incentives we used to have with our former client, and two, they just don't care about us and it will be very much okay for them not to continue as being our client.

Last night alone, we were queuing the whole shift because aside from the millions of people calling us about their closed accounts, we were short by 4 advisors. The replacement for our termed teammate hasn't started yet, one was on VL to supposedly watch Boyz II Men, two called in sick. Tonight is my last shift before I have my day off again tomorrow, and I've decided to just let go of the pressures to hit the metrics. The metrics simply can't be hit. It's that simple so why try and hit it. They can have our bonuses. I need the money but right now, I just don't care. It's just sad that not too many companies are hiring right now. Well, I will hang on as long as I can, and I've proven a lot of times before that if I can't hold on anymore, no one will be able to stop what I'll do next.

Red Ink

I am again in trouble of getting an FA for again not meeting the Quality standards so far in the office. I am not alone this time. As of this morning, there are three of us in the team who's quality score is in red ink. The pay period ends around the 5th of July, and getting that FA would mean I would not be getting any bonus AND I will be on the brink of termination. An FA would take three weeks to fall off, and getting another FA within that period would mean termination.

*sigh*

With a job like ours, taking escalated calls from really irate customers is never easy. And to add that the client is changing the metrics every pay period, and almost every other day, there is a new update with not just a markdown in quality, but an autofail at that. Autofail means it's automatic zero.

It seems like the office is doing everything to please the client, and the client is doing everything to save a lot in terms of bonuses, perks and incentives. All of us are now getting a lot less than what we used to get before.

Working here is no longer as fun as it used to be. Other options? I am again seriously thinking of it.

*sigh*

Call Center Agent

I first saw this almost 3 years ago when I was just starting in the call center industry. The descriptions fit me except two things: the jacket thingie only because people in our office keep turning the aircons off that's why I don't bring a jacket anymore; and the "coffee reigns as king" thingie since I don't drink coffee that much anymore (I used to when I was younger), just iced tea or plain water while in the office.

Credits to whoever made this.

Chase What Matters

Made this while being bored at work, something I'd like to dedicate to my team, using the tagline for Chase's Fraud Protector...

worry not of the calls we receive,
focus on the service you can give.

late fees we cannot reverse,
makes their apr worse.

think not of the pressure we feel,
it's just a call, no big deal.

think of what's important to you,
not those too good to be true.

we're a team even if we have different feathers
let's soar high together,
and chase what matters.

Stubborn

One of the main responsibilities of my job requires me to speak with customers who request to speak with a supervisor or manager, and most of the time, the reason why they ask to be transferred to us is because the representative they spoke with wasn't able to do what they wanted.

Once we take the call, they again ask the same thing from us. And since we are following the same procedure and guidelines with our representatives, we tell them the same thing that we were already told - that we cannot do what they want us to do. Some people would understand, and some people just wouldn't.

After they are declined by the representative and myself (or another supervisor), they will again ask for someone higher so they can again insist on getting what they want. Other people just don't understand the word NO. They would want to speak with someone else until they get what they want, throwing in some threats and dropping some names every now and then. Duh! As if threatening to cancel their account or mentioning names of powerful people can make any difference.

Tired

I'm tired of working. Well, not really working, but working in a call center. I'm tired of giving out my real name to total strangers in almost every call. With the technology age that we are in, I don't feel comfortable giving out my personal information to persons I don't know anymore. It's so difficult to follow the guidelines that we're given, at the same time, having the customers blaming us. Who knows what they'll do with our personal information. And there's nothing we can do since we are required to give out our personal information whenever asked by the customer.

*Sigh*

Huh?

Customer : Why the h*** did you charge me a late fee?!

Representative : Your payment due date was on the 30th of March, we received youra payment on the 4th of April, that is why a late fee was charged to your account.

Customer : WTF! I was only late for 5 days!

Representative : Precisely! The payment was late that's why there is a late fee on your account.

Customer : You guys suck! I want you to take that late fee off right now!

Representative : I'm sorry sir, but we will not be able to do that.

Customer : If you can't do that, then you can close my account!

Representative : As requested, your account is not closed...

Customer : WHAT?! Why did you close my account?!


Hay... *faints*