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Caufman
May 7, 2007

SubjectVerbObject posted:

1. If you take a job where your job is to be a jerk to people, what do you think people's response is going to be? I don't understand how you think it is okay for them to be pushy assholes, but it is wrong to throw their poo poo back at them. The fact that they earn money to do it makes it even worse. If I went around messing with people on the street, I would expect people to get in my face, and if I used the excuse, 'but I am getting paid to paid to mess with you', I would expect to get my rear end kicked.

For how important work and income is to living in modern civilized society, we sure have a lovely attitude towards it.

Low-wage work is survival in our society. It's a small, vain person who can't be decent to someone trying to get by.

Canvassers walk around the streets asking people for a part of their time. Some are volunteers, others are paid. Do you think society should just accept and allow them to be assaulted?

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PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Caufman posted:

Canvassers walk around the streets asking people for a part of their time. Some are volunteers, others are paid. Do you think society should just accept and allow them to be assaulted?

No, but if they continue to follow me and pester me after I've told them, in a polite and professional manner, to leave me alone, I don't think I should catch a second glance from anyone when I tell them to gently caress off. Incidentally, no street canvasser has ever been inclined pester me after I tell them I'm not interested.

What should I do, when people don't respond to being told, politely, that I'm not interested? I say my standard line because I want to be more polite than just simply hanging up on someone, and it honestly loving offends me when it's not repaid with the due consideration of wishing me a nice day and hanging up. I don't want to be forced into the position, by a pushy rear end in a top hat, of being rude by simply hanging up; but, if I'm already forced to do so, I'm going to call you a stupid loving rear end in a top hat along the way. Should I, perhaps, ask to speak to a manager, and tell them exactly why I find their business practices to be abhorrent? Should I simply indulge them and make a large purchase to assuage their feelings?

What's the right answer, when you try to be polite and professional and you're rebuffed? And, after I've tried the nice way and it's not worked, how am I the rear end in a top hat for telling the person to go gently caress their hat?

bitterandtwisted
Sep 4, 2006




SubjectVerbObject posted:

Sigh, rant on.

1. If you take a job where your job is to be a jerk to people, what do you think people's response is going to be? I don't understand how you think it is okay for them to be pushy assholes, but it is wrong to throw their poo poo back at them. The fact that they earn money to do it makes it even worse. If I went around messing with people on the street, I would expect people to get in my face, and if I used the excuse, 'but I am getting paid to paid to mess with you', I would expect to get my rear end kicked.

2. They are calling me, using sales tactics (ie, lying and manipulation) to try to get me to spend too much money on things I don't need. They are using my time and my phone for their business. My phone, my rules, and my rules say that if you bug me at home, I tell you what a scumbag you are.


I don't know how it works in your country but in mine, "that's a lovely job" isn't considered a valid excuse by the job centre. You take what you can get or lose your unemployment benefits.

On behalf of everyone who's ever had to take a low paying, long hours call centre job: gently caress you, dickhead. Your house rules are that people trying to make a living are fair game for abuse. I hope you go through the same experience some time.

PT6A posted:

No, but if they continue to follow me and pester me after I've told them, in a polite and professional manner, to leave me alone, I don't think I should catch a second glance from anyone when I tell them to gently caress off. Incidentally, no street canvasser has ever been inclined pester me after I tell them I'm not interested.

What should I do, when people don't respond to being told, politely, that I'm not interested? I say my standard line because I want to be more polite than just simply hanging up on someone, and it honestly loving offends me when it's not repaid with the due consideration of wishing me a nice day and hanging up. I don't want to be forced into the position, by a pushy rear end in a top hat, of being rude by simply hanging up; but, if I'm already forced to do so, I'm going to call you a stupid loving rear end in a top hat along the way. Should I, perhaps, ask to speak to a manager, and tell them exactly why I find their business practices to be abhorrent? Should I simply indulge them and make a large purchase to assuage their feelings?

What's the right answer, when you try to be polite and professional and you're rebuffed? And, after I've tried the nice way and it's not worked, how am I the rear end in a top hat for telling the person to go gently caress their hat?
These days I work on an IT service desk so I receive a large volume of sales calls, maybe four a day average. In three years, I've never had to do more than be polite and professional in declining their offers. Being polite doesn't mean being ambiguous though, so don't feel you have to say "I'll think about it" and hope they take it as a no.

Caufman
May 7, 2007

PT6A posted:

What's the right answer, when you try to be polite and professional and you're rebuffed? And, after I've tried the nice way and it's not worked, how am I the rear end in a top hat for telling the person to go gently caress their hat?

bitterandtwisted posted:

These days I work on an IT service desk so I receive a large volume of sales calls, maybe four a day average. In three years, I've never had to do more than be polite and professional in declining their offers. Being polite doesn't mean being ambiguous though, so don't feel you have to say "I'll think about it" and hope they take it as a no.

Seriously, it's exactly like this. Not only do I get regular sales calls, I'm often the only person working, and a customer takes precedence over a sales call. I've never had to escalate to rudeness or outright name calling, because this isn't the playground at recess anymore. I say, "Sorry, we are/aren't interested, but I have a customer right now. Good day and good bye." If they don't say goodbye back, I have to hang up and focus on the more important task. I cannot imagine how a rational grown-up fails to navigate this pretty benign and commonplace scenario without acting like a jerk.

PT6A, I'm going to say you are probably not a good judge of how polite or professional you are, seeing as how you and others like you wandered into a thread about someone looking for tips on staying sane at work, and decided to make it about how you all are the true victims here because sales calls turn you into an rear end in a top hat, and so people should quit their jobs so you won't be bothered. You have a lot, a lot of growing up to do, and I look forward to the day you make an A/T thread about how you can be more pleasant to people who interrupt your free time.

DupaDupa
May 21, 2009

I'm Samurai Mike
I stop 'em cold.

Ironsolid posted:

I hate to post here because I have the opposite job everyone else here has...

I work for an unnamed school education company that has zero focus on numbers (outside of schedule adherence, I stayed in wrap for 30 minutes today on accident - oops) ultimate focus on call resolution and customer satisfaction. I take minimal calls per day (which you can tell by 30 minutes of wrap).


If you are based out of the Chicago area, I think we may be working for the same company.

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Caufman posted:

PT6A, I'm going to say you are probably not a good judge of how polite or professional you are, seeing as how you and others like you wandered into a thread about someone looking for tips on staying sane at work, and decided to make it about how you all are the true victims here because sales calls turn you into an rear end in a top hat, and so people should quit their jobs so you won't be bothered. You have a lot, a lot of growing up to do, and I look forward to the day you make an A/T thread about how you can be more pleasant to people who interrupt your free time.

And I offered the tip: when someone politely declines your phone call, drop the loving call. And, yes, 99% of the time, saying "We don't accept telephone solicitations or surveys, thank you, have a nice day," will work. It's the 1% of the time, and one company specifically (Pitney Bowes) where the callers will argue/lie that it's not a solicitation and basically force me to be impolite to them to end the call. Some have literally called me back twice. I'm asking in this thread, because I want to know the answer and I figure people here will know: what's the secret to politely getting out of the call when the standard options don't work?

jassi007
Aug 9, 2006

mmmmm.. burger...

PT6A posted:

And I offered the tip: when someone politely declines your phone call, drop the loving call. And, yes, 99% of the time, saying "We don't accept telephone solicitations or surveys, thank you, have a nice day," will work. It's the 1% of the time, and one company specifically (Pitney Bowes) where the callers will argue/lie that it's not a solicitation and basically force me to be impolite to them to end the call. Some have literally called me back twice. I'm asking in this thread, because I want to know the answer and I figure people here will know: what's the secret to politely getting out of the call when the standard options don't work?

you've been answered, you just aren't getting it. A company might have a policy of 3 refusals, ie they have to call back after you call them a fucker and hang up because their bosses bosses boss says so. No company will tell you their policies either. Just keep saying no thanks and hanging up.

hooliganesh
Aug 1, 2003

REPENT!
I think the question Tell me how not to want to kill yourself at a call centre??? has one logical answer: never work for a call center.

I, too, have been there and after seeing something like 125 pending calls in the queue for password resets (while the guys on a second tier were snoozing at their workstations) I got up, collected my things and left. I have never seen as much soul-crushing micromanagement and animosity within the confines of four walls than in a call center - may good and honest people never, ever, have to experience the pain of suffering fools all day long (not being sarcastic - people today are uncultured, ignorant, obnoxious and generally socially atrocious), the likes of which makes a sane person homicidal/suicidal.

And yes, most people are that goddamned stupid.

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

jassi007 posted:

you've been answered, you just aren't getting it. A company might have a policy of 3 refusals, ie they have to call back after you call them a fucker and hang up because their bosses bosses boss says so. No company will tell you their policies either. Just keep saying no thanks and hanging up.

Can/should I ask to speak to their manager in that event, so I can chew out the person who actually made that stupid policy instead of the low-level person who has to follow it? Does that work?

Adnar
Jul 11, 2002

I guess you could say I've had a career in Call Centres (28 now) from being an outbound dinner time Telemarketing harasser to inbound complaints for a blue chip, TL, Manager and now I actually manage an offshoring transition to the Philippines (based there).

Honestly my advice (and it's general because I don't know how lovely your conditions or opportunities are) but if you drink the kool aid a little and try to put a genuine interest and passion into what you're doing (either product or helping the customer) it won't take long to be elevated out of the lovely front line jobs because 90% of the people in these positions have no ambition or sense to just knuckle down and try and give a crap. It's a bit rewarding when you're not anticipating despising everyone that may be calling and you may get more development out of it too.

Tl;Dr apply yourself and give a gently caress enough to get off the front line ASAP

Madmarker
Jan 7, 2007

PT6A posted:

Can/should I ask to speak to their manager in that event, so I can chew out the person who actually made that stupid policy instead of the low-level person who has to follow it? Does that work?

Not really, they may even deny its a policy. The manager is generally some schmuck who managed not to get fired and snatched an open position, for a minimal raise, but the benefit of being off the phone. There is no one you will be able to talk to to affect change over the phone. If you find out what company they represent you may be able to write a nastygram to the corporate office.

Believe me, no one hates these policies/companies more than the phone workers, they are just stuck in the unenviable position of making these calls so they can afford their Top Ramen and beer for the week. Seriously, no one hates a company more than there outbound and inbound phone reps. Just ask to go on the do not call list, find out what company they work for, and if they call again, report it.

Adnar posted:

I guess you could say I've had a career in Call Centres (28 now) from being an outbound dinner time Telemarketing harasser to inbound complaints for a blue chip, TL, Manager and now I actually manage an offshoring transition to the Philippines (based there).

Honestly my advice (and it's general because I don't know how lovely your conditions or opportunities are) but if you drink the kool aid a little and try to put a genuine interest and passion into what you're doing (either product or helping the customer) it won't take long to be elevated out of the lovely front line jobs because 90% of the people in these positions have no ambition or sense to just knuckle down and try and give a crap. It's a bit rewarding when you're not anticipating despising everyone that may be calling and you may get more development out of it too.

Tl;Dr apply yourself and give a gently caress enough to get off the front line ASAP

Please don't throw a bootstraps argument in here. Great, you managed to succeed in the industry, but how many off-call positions are there? Not everyone is going to be able to get off the phones, even if they put in the requisite work.

Madmarker fucked around with this message at 18:36 on Jul 10, 2014

jassi007
Aug 9, 2006

mmmmm.. burger...

PT6A posted:

Can/should I ask to speak to their manager in that event, so I can chew out the person who actually made that stupid policy instead of the low-level person who has to follow it? Does that work?

It depends again. The poor schlub on the phone might get in trouble for an escalation. It may actually get you off their call list if you give someone with a small amount of authority grief. It'd probably be preferable to chewing out the guy calling. Keep in mind that some call centers are for shady companies and products, so trying to reason with an organization who gives no shits is liable to get you no where. It can't hurt to try if you want to spend the time. I'd say if they call you say no thanks and hang up, if they call back, then go for the supervisor.

jassi007
Aug 9, 2006

mmmmm.. burger...

Madmarker posted:

Not really, they may even deny its a policy. The manager is generally some schmuck who managed not to get fired and snatched an open position, for a minimal raise, but the benefit of being off the phone. There is no one you will be able to talk to to affect change over the phone. If you find out what company they represent you may be able to write a nastygram to the corporate office.

The manager/supervisor probably does have enough authority and the ability to take you off their call list. I feel less bad about making a mangers life hell, if you ask once and they say they can't, then gloves are off. You ask not to be called, you ask the manager to have his company stop calling you, he or she can either get you to someone who can do so or they can take an rear end reaming.

Stanos
Sep 22, 2009

The best 57 in hockey.
When I worked for AT&T cancellation, we were required to talk to people about escalations and warn them that anything we've offered is off the table. Most of the time it was some dickhead who wanted something for nothing or a haggler who thought he could double up with a manager. Unfortunately when you work the front lines that long you don't take poo poo from anyone and they were allowed to disconnect a call with impunity (barring not constantly doing it). Plus they usually offered nothing near the value of what most front liners did because the front lines gave no fucks and would just throw you anything to get the $1.25 in commission for saving an account while management didn't get poo poo. If you were constantly escalated on it was a problem but a few a week was nothing unless you were audited and trying to claim them for commission.

Then again I worked inbound with the occasional outbound to clean up a sale or discuss a deal at a different time so YMMV.

Adnar
Jul 11, 2002

Madmarker posted:



Please don't throw a bootstraps argument in here. Great, you managed to succeed in the industry, but how many off-call positions are there? Not everyone is going to be able to get off the phones, even if they put in the requisite work.

No you're right. I don't mean to say that you can work your way to the stars and I did qualify that it depends on the company. But generally a good attendance, engagement and sign of intelligence and initiative will be recognized very quickly in these environments because it's usually so lacking..

When I first started I was an argumentative dick complaining about the next jerk on the line and it showed in my performance.. once I realised that if I tried to make the best of each interaction I a) enjoyed it more and b) performed better. Most places I've worked have been absolutely desperate to promote people into at least basic team leader stuff but have not had the cattle because even people in their 20s just didn't get the basic, head down, perform contribute positively from the start. Of course I can't speak for every environment, but even a basic TL or Supervisor role is a really good career step at least for experiencing wise.

SubjectVerbObject
Jul 27, 2009
Replying to a lot of folks here in general.

1. I am speaking specifically about telemarketers. People who get paid bother me at my home and try to sell me things. Incoming call centers are their own brand of hell, and I have worked enough telephone support to know exactly what the agent is going through. Plus they are there to help me and you get much further not abusing them. I am very pleasant.

2. I worked as a telemarketer for one and half weeks. Three days of training and one week of selling. The training was all about what lies you can tell, and how to overcome objections like "I can't afford it" and "I don't need it." I quit after one week of lying to people trying to get them to buy things they didn't need and couldn't afford.

3. The telemarketers are treating me like poo poo. Again, why is it ok for them to do so, but if I give it back, I am in the wrong? If they can't take it, they shouldn't dish it out.

4. I don't care if is their company's policy that they treat me like poo poo. If I can, I will call the company headquarters and complain about the calls, but you almost never get that information, and besides, it is usually an outsourced call center any way. The person on the phone is the representative of the company and is the face (Ear? Voice?)of it. So my displeasure is given to them.

5. The fact that they earn money treating me like poo poo is a problem. Too many things in the US are excused because they generate money. In this case people are saying that someone's right to make money is more important than my time. It's not, and I will dig in my heels. I am very tired of living in a society where people only look at others as a source of income. Whoever is calling me, I would love to talk them about their day, music, whatever, you know, like human beings do, but they are just treating me a a wallet that they have to pry open. You folks are asking me to show some empathy for the people calling me, and I would be happy to try to if you can convince me that they see me as something other than a sucker that they have to somehow con into a sale.

6. I am imagining that many would like this derail to stop. I am happy to do so, or discuss more if there is a better thread. I will read any replies, but will only reply if folks want to continue this conversation.

Caufman
May 7, 2007

SubjectVerbObject posted:

5. The fact that they earn money treating me like poo poo is a problem. Too many things in the US are excused because they generate money. In this case people are saying that someone's right to make money is more important than my time. It's not, and I will dig in my heels. I am very tired of living in a society where people only look at others as a source of income. Whoever is calling me, I would love to talk them about their day, music, whatever, you know, like human beings do, but they are just treating me a a wallet that they have to pry open. You folks are asking me to show some empathy for the people calling me, and I would be happy to try to if you can convince me that they see me as something other than a sucker that they have to somehow con into a sale.

I would be happy to see you ask the OP what they think of their customers, which is totally doable if they haven't been scared off, since your first post here (along with many others) was not to ask them what they thought of their job and their customers but instead told them to quit. But it is very telling that you see yourself as a sucker out to be conned by a low-wage telephone worker, and that you see them as manipulative scumbags who should expect an asskicking.

A telemarketer is not responsible for telemarketing being a viable industry. You are as responsible for it as they are, by being a member of consumer economy with money, time and a phone. You can avoid sales calls by being a peasant in a country without a middle class, or you can try to be a better-adjusted member of the world you accidentally happen to live in.

RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS
Dec 21, 2010

SubjectVerbObject posted:

Sigh, rant on.

1. If you take a job where your job is to be a jerk to people, what do you think people's response is going to be? I don't understand how you think it is okay for them to be pushy assholes, but it is wrong to throw their poo poo back at them. The fact that they earn money to do it makes it even worse. If I went around messing with people on the street, I would expect people to get in my face, and if I used the excuse, 'but I am getting paid to paid to mess with you', I would expect to get my rear end kicked.

2. They are calling me, using sales tactics (ie, lying and manipulation) to try to get me to spend too much money on things I don't need. They are using my time and my phone for their business. My phone, my rules, and my rules say that if you bug me at home, I tell you what a scumbag you are.

3. Admittedly, since I have been on the no call list for 10 years, the only calls I get any more are people who are complete scammers (Rachel from Cardholder services), so my sample is skewed.

Having worked in a call center (not outbound, although that didn't stop people from being similarly abusive), nobody does it unless they're desperate. Clearly you have no understanding of what it's like to do.

PT6A posted:

Can/should I ask to speak to their manager in that event, so I can chew out the person who actually made that stupid policy instead of the low-level person who has to follow it? Does that work?

The guy you are talking to will never be high enough up the chain to actually have any influence and may not actually be a manager.

I don't think most people have an appreciation for the scale of a real call center. If Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters did something you found objectionable, would you march into the local Wal-Mart and yell at the store manager? Do you think that would make them change their policies? That's essentially what you're proposing.

quote:

2. I worked as a telemarketer for one and half weeks. Three days of training and one week of selling. The training was all about what lies you can tell, and how to overcome objections like "I can't afford it" and "I don't need it." I quit after one week of lying to people trying to get them to buy things they didn't need and couldn't afford.
Yeah, that's literally what sales is all about. Nothing specific to telemarketing here.

RICHUNCLEPENNYBAGS fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Jul 12, 2014

Stanos
Sep 22, 2009

The best 57 in hockey.
drat, sales is about...convincing someone to buy something through objections?! :wth:

I mean there's some shady poo poo involved in commission sales sometimes but you were shocked that someone trained you on how to make a sale when someone says 'no' the first time? Overcoming objections is like marketing 101. Do you get mad at the fast food joint guy for asking if you want a drink or to upsize your order too?

-Blackadder-
Jan 2, 2007

Game....Blouses.


All I know is that there is very real medical evidence that stress literally kills you. So any high stress jobs should have higher pay commensurate with your decreased lifespan. If it doesn't then you should find something else to do.

-Blackadder- fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Aug 7, 2014

mechacop
May 12, 2014

Add me on SNES Live

Caufman posted:

I'm not a fan of this thread's direction. It started out with someone asking how they can be happier with their work and became a place for people to vindicate their rudeness to strangers.

mechacop
May 12, 2014

Add me on SNES Live
Also, I strongly disagree with the majority of this thread. I've been at this call centre now that the OP is about for around 5 months. I really enjoy it, I've been bumped up to trainer, I'm a top performer, and I can show up and work high (most of us do.)

I get a lot of lovely people and sometimes doing the job gets repetitive and depressing. But all in all, I never really think about work after work, and I come out of work every day feeling refreshed and productive and ready to go home and have a good day.

It's been 5 months and I'm planning to stay here for a year just so I can get my coffee mug and make sure I'm guaranteed a job anytime I wanna come back. I'm just glad I'm not soliciting any products or taking anyone's credit card number. Just providing free information on college programs to get my commission.

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane
So, on the other side of my earlier question, if the people who are pushy jerks are being forced by their employer, are they a small, terrible minority of the call centre industry? I've dealt with a few telemarketers since, and they've all been really nice. Or are some employees just more willing to bend the rules? I'm really curious why such a tiny minority behave in such an objectionable way compared to everyone else, considering (apparently) most of the industry is lovely.

mechacop
May 12, 2014

Add me on SNES Live

PT6A posted:

So, on the other side of my earlier question, if the people who are pushy jerks are being forced by their employer, are they a small, terrible minority of the call centre industry? I've dealt with a few telemarketers since, and they've all been really nice. Or are some employees just more willing to bend the rules? I'm really curious why such a tiny minority behave in such an objectionable way compared to everyone else, considering (apparently) most of the industry is lovely.

I bend the rules and change up the script a lot, and since I'm good at the job they give me some leniency. Allows me to talk with my customers more and build a relationship. Makes the job less repetitive and awful.

EvilGenius
May 2, 2006
Death to the Black Eyed Peas

Stanos posted:

drat, sales is about...convincing someone to buy something through objections?! :wth:

I mean there's some shady poo poo involved in commission sales sometimes but you were shocked that someone trained you on how to make a sale when someone says 'no' the first time? Overcoming objections is like marketing 101. Do you get mad at the fast food joint guy for asking if you want a drink or to upsize your order too?

Yeah, it's marketing 101, but it doesn't stop the entire concept of a sales industry being fundamentally dishonest. If I don't own something, I either don't want it or can't afford it. It's basically institutionalised begging.

Fake edit: it's Burger King's policy in the UK to ask if you want your order 'large or super size' phrased as if they're the only options - they're literally training out psychological manipulation, and yes that does make me mad.

EvilGenius fucked around with this message at 09:30 on Jul 20, 2014

Caufman
May 7, 2007
At my small retail store, I show people the five dollar item before I show them the three dollar item.

But I don't write "adept at psychological manipulation," on my resume, either.

Caufman fucked around with this message at 10:13 on Jul 20, 2014

RonMexicosPitbull
Feb 28, 2012

by Ralp

EvilGenius posted:

Yeah, it's marketing 101, but it doesn't stop the entire concept of a sales industry being fundamentally dishonest. If I don't own something, I either don't want it or can't afford it. It's basically institutionalised begging.

Fake edit: it's Burger King's policy in the UK to ask if you want your order 'large or super size' phrased as if they're the only options - they're literally training out psychological manipulation, and yes that does make me mad.

Haha no way

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

EvilGenius posted:

Yeah, it's marketing 101, but it doesn't stop the entire concept of a sales industry being fundamentally dishonest. If I don't own something, I either don't want it or can't afford it. It's basically institutionalised begging.

Fake edit: it's Burger King's policy in the UK to ask if you want your order 'large or super size' phrased as if they're the only options - they're literally training out psychological manipulation, and yes that does make me mad.

I don't know about that. Sales is also about telling someone what's available, and letting them work out for themselves that they either need or want it. If I go to the pub and order a burger and fries, they'll ask me if I want gravy for my fries. This isn't dishonest in any way, it's just reminding me that gravy is an option available to me Since gravy is delicious, I will probably say "yes." If I had not been reminded I could get gravy with my fries, I'd be less likely to get it.

If I said, "no, I would not like gravy with my fries," I would expect the matter to be dropped. Likewise, if I ordered a burger and fries, I would not like them to keep saying, "You could have salad with that, you know... In fact, you really should get a salad instead of fries." Sales doesn't depend on lovely tactics. If you have good products, you can convince people they should buy your products on its own merits, even if they hadn't originally planned to, without resorting to dishonest tricks.

cis white male
Jul 5, 2014

i'm a fag i'm a lesbian
That guy in gbs smokes crack while work for 911 dispatch, and that job is actually meaningful, so maybe try that?

Madmarker
Jan 7, 2007

mechacop posted:

Also, I strongly disagree with the majority of this thread. I've been at this call centre now that the OP is about for around 5 months. I really enjoy it, I've been bumped up to trainer, I'm a top performer, and I can show up and work high (most of us do.)

I get a lot of lovely people and sometimes doing the job gets repetitive and depressing. But all in all, I never really think about work after work, and I come out of work every day feeling refreshed and productive and ready to go home and have a good day.

It's been 5 months and I'm planning to stay here for a year just so I can get my coffee mug and make sure I'm guaranteed a job anytime I wanna come back. I'm just glad I'm not soliciting any products or taking anyone's credit card number. Just providing free information on college programs to get my commission.

Then good for you. If you prosper in this environment, go to town, that is infinitely more important than the opinion of a bunch of dicks on the internet. I would hazard a guess though that your experience is very much in the minority.

ashgromnies
Jun 19, 2004

jassi007 posted:

Many outbound call centers have rules that amount to "don't take no for an answer" It is often not the choice of the person on the phone to continue, so try just hanging up. Sometimes lovely jobs have lovely rules, that doesn't mean the human being on the other end of the phone is a jerk.

Nazis: just doing their jobs. :godwin:

jassi007
Aug 9, 2006

mmmmm.. burger...

ashgromnies posted:

Nazis: just doing their jobs. :godwin:

Retards: Comparing things to Nazi's in internet conversations that have nothing to do with Nazi's since Al Gore created the internet.

Ball Cupper
Sep 10, 2011

~beautiful in my own way~

jassi007 posted:

Retards: Comparing things to Nazi's in internet conversations that have nothing to do with Nazi's since Al Gore created the internet.

Uhh... "Retard" is a derogatory term, you shouldn't use it. Also I think the guy was joking. If so, then that's a load of egg on YOUR face. God bless.

Call centres are better if it's in-house and inbound. Comparatively it's heaven!

jassi007
Aug 9, 2006

mmmmm.. burger...

Ball Cupper posted:

Uhh... "Retard" is a derogatory term, you shouldn't use it. Also I think the guy was joking. If so, then that's a load of egg on YOUR face. God bless.

Call centres are better if it's in-house and inbound. Comparatively it's heaven!

I know it is. I'm a derogatory kinda guy. Nazi's are never a joke. 911 MURICA FREEEEEDOM!!!!

EvilGenius
May 2, 2006
Death to the Black Eyed Peas

PT6A posted:

I don't know about that. Sales is also about telling someone what's available, and letting them work out for themselves that they either need or want it. If I go to the pub and order a burger and fries, they'll ask me if I want gravy for my fries. This isn't dishonest in any way, it's just reminding me that gravy is an option available to me Since gravy is delicious, I will probably say "yes." If I had not been reminded I could get gravy with my fries, I'd be less likely to get it.

If I said, "no, I would not like gravy with my fries," I would expect the matter to be dropped. Likewise, if I ordered a burger and fries, I would not like them to keep saying, "You could have salad with that, you know... In fact, you really should get a salad instead of fries." Sales doesn't depend on lovely tactics. If you have good products, you can convince people they should buy your products on its own merits, even if they hadn't originally planned to, without resorting to dishonest tricks.

I see two sides of it, one of which is the honest side - making people aware of your product. This is such a small part of marketing though. If that were all there was to it, adverts would simply describe the properties and functions if their product in a very plain way. Anything else is manipulation. I'm not raging against it or anything, I just think marketing is 90% manipulation.

Also, with the example - you asked for chips and gravy was an option. BK imply that you are buying a meal and it has to be either Large of Supersize.

Now I think about it, it may be the staff getting the pitch wrong. There's actually two ways of saying it that are hard to convey in text, but think about how you'd say it if it were the only two options (pitch down at the end of the sentence), vs offering two optional extras (pitch up at the end of the sentence). It's when BK use the former that winds me up.

Another fake edit: McDonald's sometimes ask 'is that with a Coke?'. Well, yeah but why would you assume.

SlayVus
Jul 10, 2009
Grimey Drawer
I just got a job as a quality assessor for a call center. It's pretty chill there too. I listen top about 110-150 calls a shift checking to make sure the agent correctly went over all details of making a sale.

Working from a thin client though sucks as the VMs are located in Canada. When the shift starts peaking in their CPM, the image quality degrades and can take about 5 seconds to scroll the evaluation form. Even trying to select an option from a drop down box can take several seconds.

Overall though the job its pretty nice.

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Tibor
Apr 29, 2009
That's great and all but it's not really 'working in a call centre' in the sense of having to make calls to people who hate you before they even answer the phone to try to sell them poo poo they don't want and you get poo poo rained down on you if they don't want it. I could definitely cope with a job like yours because you basically just work in an office environment and you have some autonomy and can retain some semblance of self respect. You can make decisions and act on them and people care what you have to say. You can be upset for personal reasons and not have to talk to strangers about complete bullshit for literally hours on end. You can probably get up and walk around to see people about their calls. You can go to the toilet without having to sign out or time yourself etc. That's not 'working in a call centre'. There's no way to not want to kill yourself, OP, unless you have no motivation to do anything else at all in life and you happen to be really great at telesales. I'd kill myself before I worked in another call centre.

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