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Fil5000 posted:Workforce planning/analysis is all about properly scheduling staff to meet expected demand. It may or may not involve some forecasting elements as well. Please do. My new position is just below it. I'm no longer taking calls. Edit: What's your salary range? GiveUpNed fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Apr 11, 2015 |
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Apr 11, 2015 15:43
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GiveUpNed posted:Please do. My new position is just below it. I'm no longer taking calls. Well I'm in the UK for starters so I'm not sure that my salary range would do much for you. So the way the process works where I am is that forecasting produce a long term and a short term forecast based on whatever metric we know have an influence on call volume. That can be sales forecasts, expected customer base numbers, etc - anything that has a demonstrable statistical relationship to the number of contacts we expect to get. They also come up with an AHT forecast that is based on trends and recent data, but the operation itself decides what they want AHT they want to use for planning purposes (just because you're running at 800 seconds AHT for the last two months doesn't mean that's what you budgeted for or what you WANT to be running at). The short term forecast takes that long term one and breaks it all the way down to half hourly or 15 minute slots, comes up with a call volume and an AHT for each, then uses an Erlang calculation to turn that into a number of required people on the phones for each interval. Sometimes this is done in Excel, more commonly through a workforce planning tool. At this point your workforce planning guys take over and schedule staff to best meet the demand that forecasting have come up with, and also to meet any off phone demands that need to happen (team meetings, training, etc). They then pass that plan on to the next stage in the chain which is ideally a real time management function that's part of the wider workforce planning team but is frequently just part of the operation itself. At that point it's down to dealing with things as they happen on the day, pulling people off the phones if it's quiet to do other tasks, coordinating support to other departments if need be, watching for people not being on the phones when they're supposed to be and for people on the phones when they're NOT supposed to be, etc etc etc. Does that help at all?
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Apr 11, 2015 16:40
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Fil5000 posted:Well I'm in the UK for starters so I'm not sure that my salary range would do much for you. Thanks for the info. How did you get into your position, what should I be doing to get into the position, and what's the career growth/job outlook like?
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Apr 12, 2015 08:17
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GiveUpNed posted:Thanks for the info. How did you get into your position, what should I be doing to get into the position, and what's the career growth/job outlook like? In my case, fell into it. I was on phones, then I was a team leader, then someone noticed I had an aptitude for excel and they needed a forecaster. Getting into workforce planning at entry level is pretty much just having technical aptitude and understanding how the overall process works. Look out for "resource analyst", "forecast analyst" and "realtime analyst" positions and look at what they're after. If you're in a call centre already (which I guess you are) maybe talk to the person that runs the workforce planning function and find out what they'd look for when recruiting. Try and get your head around how Erlang works too, that's pretty key to forecasting and planning for telephony. Career prospects... Where I am now an entry level position is a step up from being on phones, there's senior positions that are a step up from that and then there's supervisory and management positions that are further up than that. If you're good at it then there tends to be a lot of visibility with the higher ups (forecasts go towards budget planning, recruitment, etc, workforce planning directly impacts daily service level) so it's good if you want to get your face seen. One guy I used to work with went from being on phones to a scheduling analyst to running all of workforce planning in another company, so it's doable.
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Apr 12, 2015 08:33
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Fil5000 posted:In my case, fell into it. I was on phones, then I was a team leader, then someone noticed I had an aptitude for excel and they needed a forecaster. Getting into workforce planning at entry level is pretty much just having technical aptitude and understanding how the overall process works. Look out for "resource analyst", "forecast analyst" and "realtime analyst" positions and look at what they're after. If you're in a call centre already (which I guess you are) maybe talk to the person that runs the workforce planning function and find out what they'd look for when recruiting. Try and get your head around how Erlang works too, that's pretty key to forecasting and planning for telephony. I work for a large company that happens to have a call center. My promotion means I do some forecasting and auditing, but I'm auditing accounts, not doing forecasting. I figure my new role progresses to Workforce Management.
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Apr 12, 2015 09:54
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GiveUpNed posted:I work for a large company that happens to have a call center. My promotion means I do some forecasting and auditing, but I'm auditing accounts, not doing forecasting. I figure my new role progresses to Workforce Management. Possibly - depends what the forecasting side of the role is. Like, there's people at my place that do sales forecasts that have nothing to do with workforce planning. Forecasting and auditing seems an odd combo to be honest.
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Apr 12, 2015 12:48
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Fil5000 posted:Possibly - depends what the forecasting side of the role is. Like, there's people at my place that do sales forecasts that have nothing to do with workforce planning. Forecasting and auditing seems an odd combo to be honest. I guess I'll find out. I have a meeting sometime this week (or so I'm told) regarding my new responsibilities.
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Apr 12, 2015 23:04
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At least you don't all work here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNdkUYc_MTM
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Apr 16, 2015 14:14
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sbaldrick posted:At least you don't all work here but...I could meet the man of my dreams! Turn my life around! Really make a difference!!!
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Apr 16, 2015 14:21
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I'm getting OUT! Finally, after working in call centers since 2008, I got a promotion that has very little to do with phones and nothing to do with queues. NO MORE AUTO-IN! I applied a few weeks ago for a new position within my company. I'm moving from "customer care"--taking 60-110 calls a day and hating life--to pushing paperwork and processing loans in about 2 weeks. It's the white collar transition I never dreamed I would be able to make. 
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Apr 18, 2015 15:30
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Heck yeah! It feels incredible, doesn't it? I felt like an imposter for a few months after I moved onto my new job. I felt like I had fooled everyone. For me, it was kind of a difficult transition because the skills are so different--one thing I struggled with is that you have to be very assertive with other people to make sure everyone takes care of their responsibilities since EVERYONE feels overwhelmed and like they don't have time to do their full jobs, and also some people WILL try to blame you for mistakes that are entirely theirs if they think they can get away with it. I already felt like an imposter who didn't deserve an office job and like I needed to listen to the people around me who had more experience (which is sort of true, but when they're telling you things to excuse the fact that they are not doing their own jobs...). In my first several months I let people get away with WAY too much poo poo and it bit me in the butt when it held up my own tasks. Basically I had to learn to be assertive and unafraid to call people out when the situation calls for it, rather than very meek and passive like when dealing with customers. Lots of team skills rather than single-person skills, I guess. That said I tend towards being overly passive in my personal life too so maybe that learning curve was something unique to people with my personality. One thing that struck me is that call center managers have no choice but to be really negative because the metrics are just so incredibly inhuman. For example, not being allowed to use the bathroom more than once every two hours at a pre-scheduled time. How on earth can you tell someone that's remotely reasonable when you're managing people? I was repeatedly told I lacked discipline because of this, and the manager would tell us in meetings that none of us could handle an office job if we couldn't hold off from using the bathroom. Honestly, while I have to deal with team dynamics and more responsibility as a white-collar worker, I feel like it's easy mode because I can do things like come in an hour early if I want, or a few minutes late, or schedule doctor's appointments effectively whenever I want. legsarerequired fucked around with this message at 16:09 on Apr 19, 2015 |
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Apr 19, 2015 15:59
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So after about a year of employment with my call center reducing me to basically an alcoholic (I was generally having 3-4 drinks every day on my lunch break) and having a really nasty bout with bronchitis, I just decided to stop going in. It was not worth destroying my liver over. Of course now I'm unemployed and have lost basically all hope of having a job that isn't poo poo, so there's that too. At least I can't afford to drink myself into a coma.
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Apr 23, 2015 11:10
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Well it's official. I signed the paperwork a few days ago -- I'm no longer in the call centre. My new role is business admin role for the company I was hired into the call centre for. I'll be auditing accounts and doing accounting admin tasks. I'll be working 9 to 5 Mon to Fri.
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Apr 23, 2015 16:33
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Congratulations! It's a great feeling, isn't it? Are you noticing that you're getting sassier on the phone? I definitely overheard some people who were moving into business roles being more assertive with customers.
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Apr 23, 2015 17:24
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legsarerequired posted:Congratulations! It's a great feeling, isn't it? I always am assertive with customers, but I work for a large company that has an in-house call centre. But yes, I'm very happy.
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Apr 23, 2015 17:34
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I worked for an in-house call center for an insurance company but we had a ton of rules governing our interactions with customers. Some of them made sense--for example, CSRs weren't allowed to advise the customer about whether or not they should file a claim. I agree that a CSR has no business interpreting policies/giving legal advice based on a 3-minute phone call/etc. However, CSRs were not allowed to tell a customer "I'm sorry, but I don't have the legal authority to advise you on how this will benefit you/if you have coverage/if this will make your rates go up/etc," so we would have to say something like "You need to do what is best for you," or "I would do whatever made me feel the most secure moving forward," etc. If these sound horrendously vague and infuriating, well, they were, and I had to do this for years and I got chewed out countless times for apparently refusing to answer what was described to me as "a simple question." I got a lot of secondhand-satisfaction from hearing a CSR (who was about to begin work in her admin job) saying "MA'AM, I WILL NOT ADVISE YOU ON WHETHER OR NOT TO FILE A CLAIM." in a very assertive voice. Has anyone else gotten advice from a customer about how "This is a bad company and if I were you, I would get a new job somewhere else"? 
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Apr 23, 2015 18:39
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legsarerequired posted:
I just get "I hate your verification process. I'm moving my money to (competitor)!" The nice thing is that I can basically shrug my shoulders and go "Ok. Is there anything else I can help with?" It's weird being half fraud department and half CSR. One of the QA's in my group is leaving the department. I put in for her position. Doubt I'll get it, especially since the other guy I saw interviewing for it is better liked by management and honestly has handled more roles. It would be nice to get off the phones completely, but I'm just going to study for my brokerage licenses and hope for the best.
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Apr 24, 2015 02:33
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Today was one month at the call center I work at now. I thought it would be fairly easy, because I come from a political/nonprofit fundraising background, and a lot of the skills are transferable. Holy poo poo I was not correct. Tonight was the third night in a row that I've come very close to breaking down in tears. Everything is corporate and driven by profit motive and I am adding nothing of any value to the world. This job makes my soul hurt.
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Apr 24, 2015 09:24
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Welcome to the Hotel California.
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Apr 24, 2015 09:41
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Kat Delacour posted:Welcome to the Hotel California. drat, that's the most accurate way to explain it, Hotel Call-ifornia. I've been busting my rump the last few months trying to get out of this dang ol' call center but I'm just coming up short. Had a job interview that I thought went well but I didn't even get a phone call back saying I wasn't chosen... 
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Apr 24, 2015 14:45
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Kat Delacour posted:Welcome to the Hotel California. I'm starting to apply elsewhere. I want to get back into the nonprofit sector, and there are a couple in my area that are hiring for finance/development assistants, which would be right up my alley. Until then, I can clock out any time I like, but I can never leave.
EXAKT Science fucked around with this message at 16:18 on Apr 24, 2015 |
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Apr 24, 2015 15:51
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EXAKT Science posted:Today was one month at the call center I work at now. I thought it would be fairly easy, because I come from a political/nonprofit fundraising background, and a lot of the skills are transferable. I'm internal call center for the biggest lux retailer in the US and I've already put in my 2 weeks after less than a year. This place makes me want to put a gun to my head. gently caress profit driven companies so much. I'm going to a non profit cancer research center where I can enjoy people not being assholes over not getting commission on a 100$ item.
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Apr 24, 2015 19:01
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Is it normal for supervisors to act annoyed when you ask them for help, or is mine just bad?
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Apr 25, 2015 01:53
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Both. Also don't be too depressed about the Hotel California gag, kids, I quit my last call centre job in December because it got too much and a few months of unemployment* was so much better than the feelings I had working there. *I don't live in America so I was not summarily banished from society for being unemployed, your mileage may vary
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Apr 25, 2015 02:18
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Tigntink posted:I'm internal call center for the biggest lux retailer in the US and I've already put in my 2 weeks after less than a year. This place makes me want to put a gun to my head. gently caress profit driven companies so much. I'm going to a non profit cancer research center where I can enjoy people not being assholes over not getting commission on a 100$ item. "Less than a year," lol. "More than 3 months" is a long time in call center land.
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Apr 25, 2015 02:19
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legsarerequired posted:Congratulations! It's a great feeling, isn't it? I just got my schedule. My breaks are at the same time, I never talk to customers, I have no metrics, and I get paid stat days off.
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Apr 25, 2015 07:11
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GiveUpNed posted:I just got my schedule. My breaks are at the same time, I never talk to customers, I have no metrics, and I get paid stat days off. Godspeed, you fucker. 
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Apr 25, 2015 07:42
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EXAKT Science posted:Godspeed, you fucker. Thanks! Everything is in-house, so I still have my pension, stock options, benefits, and 4-5 weeks of vacation.
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Apr 25, 2015 08:03
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I dunno if I've just worked at easy call centers or if my brain is uniquely compartmentalized to handle the stress, but I really have no problem with the work at all, as soon as I exit or log out for the day, the poo poo just melts off my back. It's been 5 years now. I'm actually putting in effort at this current gig because they're pretty employee friendly, i've gotten a couple raises and second tier management is piss easy to rise into.
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Apr 25, 2015 16:01
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Loving Life Partner posted:I dunno if I've just worked at easy call centers or if my brain is uniquely compartmentalized to handle the stress, but I really have no problem with the work at all, as soon as I exit or log out for the day, the poo poo just melts off my back. It's been 5 years now. I'm actually putting in effort at this current gig because they're pretty employee friendly, i've gotten a couple raises and second tier management is piss easy to rise into. Good for you. Let us know what happens.
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Apr 26, 2015 08:09
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That can change, I've worked at a call center with a halfway decent work environment for about a year, but an executive was hired about who is running the place into the ground. He just changed the scheduling in a way that pissed off everyone, with very little notice. It's looking like 25% of the employees might leave within the next few weeks, with everyone else scrambling to find new jobs. Someone leaked an email where he admits that he doesn't give a gently caress about the employees. The supervisors are barely able to parrot his bullshit, and the team leads are openly bitching about him every chance they get. I'm just glad I have enough money saved to walk away, but this is shaping up to be a massive trainwreck.
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Apr 26, 2015 10:29
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Got to say I love this new call center job I got. granted I just process fax orders all day so customer interaction is minimal, but great management, onsite cafe, onsite gym, chiropractic,nurse and massage therapist with good benefits and above average pay. Not all call center jobs are terrible!
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Apr 26, 2015 10:37
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Ugh the last 5-10 minutes before the end of shift are the worst, because when a call comes in, you're basically guaranteed to not be clocking out on time. I got one today at 10:56 (I work 2:30-11:00) and I would have been furious if she weren't one of the sweetest clients I've gotten so far. She went out of her way to be nice, thank me, and tell me how helpful I'd been, as well as crack a couple jokes with me 
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Apr 28, 2015 04:27
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I have mastered the art of replying just slow enough to extend my chats just long enough to take just enough fewer chats to not dilute my sales conversion rates. None of the other people in this program have sales backgrounds, so I look like some kind of God. 
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Apr 28, 2015 08:24
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EXAKT Science posted:Ugh the last 5-10 minutes before the end of shift are the worst, because when a call comes in, you're basically guaranteed to not be clocking out on time. Can't you do a shift transfer?
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Apr 29, 2015 10:34
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Bad news: Didn't get the QA position. Good news: Another opens up in 2-3 months. Good news: My manager thinks I should go for that one. Good news: He also told me to apply for a pay bump in my current position, which would be 10-15%. Bad news: If I get that pay bump, but DON'T get the QA position that next becomes available, I'm stuck doing my current job for another 18 months before I can change departments. Which sucks. Good news: That would give me time, provided I can take the psychic damage, to get both the brokerage and supervisory level licenses. Which after 18 months I can use to negotiate another 10-15% bump. I have no clue how to feel. I don't mind the job itself. But the politics and ambiguity and management make me almost want to go back to being a bank rep. Ugh.
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May 10, 2015 19:19
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blackmet posted:Bad news: Didn't get the QA position. I'd grind it out. I find if you go above and beyond and have a bubbly, positive attitude, you tend to be promoted.
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May 14, 2015 09:42
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I got bumped up a notch at the job into the "authorizations" department, which is actually a pretty cool queue, I mostly talk to professional technicians who know what we're about and what we do and are chill, I basically take their information and authorize payment for repairs on warrantied appliances/systems. Sucky part is rejection calls to homeowners, but whatever. One more queue to get trained for, then I can apply for team lead jobs that open up, we're expanding fast so I think I might be able to secure a position by the end of the year if I do well in the next queue. I actually feel like I have a trajectory at this place and some momentum, it's nice. Mega corp call center blows, fast growing medium sized corp is way better. You can be faster/looser with the rules to get poo poo done.
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May 14, 2015 16:32
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GiveUpNed posted:I'd grind it out. I find if you go above and beyond and have a bubbly, positive attitude, you tend to be promoted. Good news. The other QA rep came back from her sabbatical and promptly got moved to another department. I take over her position at a 12% pay increase starting June 1st. I am locked in for 18 months in the department. And the new manager I'm under supports me continuing on getting licenses. Best part: NO MORE PHONES! And while bubbly and positive are not words to describe me, my honesty, knowledge, and sense of humor work generally allow me to skate by.
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May 14, 2015 23:23
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blackmet posted:Good news. Funny thing, I'm not longer on the phones as well. I got promoted to admin and I'm auditing accounts and making sure the money is where it's supposed to be (business admin/bookkeeping work). Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, public holidays off. I'm half-way through my last phone shift and it's bittersweet. GiveUpNed fucked around with this message at 08:06 on May 15, 2015 |
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May 15, 2015 07:58
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