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10 Signs you’ve been working in a call centre too long
There is a lot to love about working in a call centre but let’s face it, no one dreamt of working in a call centre when they were growing up.
And even when people are working in a job that requires them to be on the phone all day whilst wearing a headset, many are even in denial that they actually even work in a ‘call centre’ anyway because in Australia at least, it’s not seen as a career destination.
And to be fair, how many people just started in the call centre with a view to just being there for a few months while “I search for something better to come along”?
But whether it’s the allure of the fast-paced work environment, the formation of some great friendships or perhaps enjoying the power of the mute and disconnect button a little too much, weeks turn into months, months into years and so on.
And 74% of contact centre managers started on the phones – so there really are loads of opportunities for those who want them.
So what are the signs when you’ve been working in a call centre too long?
Well, we crunched the numbers, did the exit interviews, visited the psychiatric wards and tracked down the long-term sick leave employees to get to the bottom of the telltale signs you’ve been working in a call centre too long…
OK, we actually didn’t do any of that, but we still hope you have a good laugh!
Here are 10 signs you’ve been working in a call centre too long:
Counting down from 10 to 1, see how many of these reactions you can relate to!
10. You feel like doing this when a customer threatens to “take my business elsewhere”
Yeah, I’m really going to lose some sleep over that one.
9. You do this when you hit the ‘ready’ button and no calls come through
That overwhelming sense of joy just rises up and has to be released, I mean how good is that feeling!
8. You find it increasingly difficult to act sincerely when a customer complains and gives you their sob story.
Sure, it’s sad. But I’ve been telling management for years about the same issues and nothing ever gets fixed so I’m beyond caring.
7. You say this to yourself about 65 times a day.
Seriously just how stupid can some customers be? All. The. Time. You never received the email when I can see the read receipt? Really? By now I’ve heard every excuse under the sun along with the classics like ‘N’ for knife ?♂️
P.S To avoid making the same mistake, we’ve got a great Phonetic Alphabet you can print off and stick to your screen/monitor etc so you sound all professional and stuff.
6. You’re worried a micro-second away from doing this if one more person complains about the wait time.
Oh, I had no idea we were really busy until you just told me and whinged about it for two minutes (which just makes everyone else wait longer). Idiot. Just be thankful I still came to work otherwise your call would have never been answered.
5. Hitting the disconnect button takes you to your “happy place”
Nothing like the instant gratification of hitting that disconnect/end call button and making all the pain go away.
4. You are borderline hysterical when a call drops in seconds before your shift ends.
Why is the universe continually punishing me???? I just want to log out and go home. Now. Please let me just go home.
3. You couldn’t care less when someone wants to speak to your manager (well, almost)
No worries, let me put you through cause I’m sure they will tell you something entirely different…
2. You start taking drastic actions when they are looking for someone to stay behind to help clear the queues.
The minute my shift ends, I’m running faster than Usain Bolt for that exit door!
1. You spend a large proportion of your shift daydreaming about a system outage that will stop the calls coming through.
Power outage? Broken monitor? Fire drill? Anything to give me a break from this crap!
How many did you relate to?
Obviously, we’d hate to see you leave the industry but we do hope you got a laugh out of some of these and can take some comfort that when you work in a job that takes phone calls from customers all day, whether you call it a call centre, contact centre, customer service team etc., there are some things that are consistent no matter where you work!
And if you enjoyed this article, you may enjoy:
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CX Roundtables - Upcoming Guest
Live and interactive sessions for customer experience professionals in Australia.
Contact Centre Manager Roundtables - Upcoming Guest
Live and interactive sessions for contact centre professionals in Australia.
Next Members Symposium Livestream: Tuesday, 21st May, 2024, 13:30 AEST
The Members Symposium sessions are only available to ACXPA Members!
ACXPA Members can watch the symposium live, and, can watch any of the sessions at any time in their Video Library.
Preview of upcoming Symposium Sessions:
IVR Best Practice
Over 90% of contact centres are using an IVR (Press 1 for this, press 2 for that), and we've encountered many contact centres with over four layers of options for customers to select from. In this session, Nadine will be sharing some best practice tips on IVR design for 2024.
Presented by Nadine Power, Chief Product Officer, Datagamz (and ACXPA National Advisory Board Member)
Tips to Boost Engagement on Calls
Of the five quality competencies we assess as part of the Australian Call Centre Rankings, the 'ENGAGE' competency from the Australian Contact Centre Quality Standards has consistently been at the bottom of the rankings throughout 2023 and into 2024.
In this session, Simon will provide some tips that can be shared with agents on how to increase engagement with customers at the start of calls.
Presented by Simon Blair, General Manager Quality Insights, ACXPA
More sessions announced soon!
(If you're interested in speaking at one of our events, click here to learn more >)
