ALT-7 Nonprofit Service Sector
I have worked in several call centers, and while that is not my current position, I can certainly give you the pros and cons.
To begin with, the pros of working in a call center are: you can start at the bottom and work your way up in a fairly short period of time (depending on how well you learn the job); your work experience may vary from call to call, but when you get to work, you will always know what to do; and you usually have a set schedule that doesn't change from week to week, making it easier for us working moms to get sitters.
When you start in a call center, you are usually referred to as a level 1 agent or tech, depending on the job. If you catch on quickly, attend work regularly, and meet your quality guidelines, jobs usually open up about every 6 months. You could then apply for a level 2 or 3 position, or a position in quality assurance. From there you could advance anywhere from 6 mos to 2 years to become a team manager, trainer, payroll, and shift manager. It all depends on your ambition and willingness to learn.
When you come into work everyday, you have the same job to do: answer the phone. The context may vary from call to call, but you will be trained and have general knowledge of what the customers will want you to know. You also will have tools that allow you to find out any information you may not know or have right off hand.
Call centers usually have metrics they have to meet. One of those is attendace. They need a certain number of people in chairs at different times of the day. In order to assure this metric is met, you receive a set schedule that doesn't vary from week to week. For instance if you get a 9am-6pm schedule with Saturdays and Sundays off, you will most likely have that schedule every week.
On the flip side, there are some cons to working in a call center, as well. Such as; with a center that has been established for a while, it is usually very hard to get a desirable schedule starting out; when people call in, they are most likely having a problem with something, and they expect you to know exactly what to do to fix their issue; and lastly, you have to work a nine hour shift instead of an wight hour shift.
Everyone wants to work 7am-4pm, 8am-5pm, or 9am-6pm. Those are the shifts that fill up first. So if you have a child or children, you may get placed on a 12noon-9pm shift, and may cause conflicts. If you are choosing to stay an agent, then it may take a while for you to get a schedule change that is desirable. Also, the only way to get a better shift is if someone quits or gets promoted. As I stated before, the center has metrics they have to meet, so they can't allow everyone to work an early shift.
When a customer calls in, no matter what kind of center you're in, there is something they need for you to do for them. They have a problem. If you don't know the answer, can't get the answer, don't have an answer they like or want to hear, or if they have called in several times; they are most likely to be very upset. Often times you have done nothing wrong, but get cursed up and down, and are the worst person in the world... to the customer. When customers call in and are already upset or angry, it can be very trying to listen to what they have to say, and hard to try to calm them down.
Lastly, because of the nature of the job- you are sitting in a chair for eight hours- call centers are required to have you take an hour lunch (sometimes you may be allowed a 30 minute lunch if overtime is being offered or for special circumstances). So, in reality you are still working 8 hours, but your work day takes up 9 hours of your day, especially if you don't live close enough to stop in your own home.
In conclusion, there are many pros and cons to working in a call center, you just have to weigh them out and find out if it's the job for you!
