Queuing, CSAT, AHT, Voluntary time off, graveyard shift, night differential do they sound familiar to you? If yes, then surely, you know what I mean. BPO or in short Call Center. I admit, after graduating, almost all of my college batch mates applied in the BPO industry and I was an exception or so I thought. For me, it was the trend that everyone would jump in, "I'm working in a call center" sounds too cliche for me and I wouldn't be impressed if I found out that you are working in a call center. That was my idea before but times are changing and I ended up working in what I call cliche.
But don't get me wrong, when I landed and started as a Customer Care Associate, that's when I realized how tough and competitive it is and through that experience, I have high respect to all the people working in that industry. Imagine, taking calls for the entire 8 hours shift, with only 15 minutes of breaks and an 1 hour for your lunch break and then the routine goes on, plus the never ending queue of calls and the irate and rude customers and did I mention the shifting of schedules, graveyard shift, maintaining your metrics or scorecards, AHT (average handle time), avoiding DSAT (dissatisfaction), surveys, never ending coaching sessions and more. With some of these plus more to mention, how can you handle such pressure?
From the recruitment itself, boy, it was pretty hard because you have to undergo a series of interviews plus exams here and there. And once you passed the interview, your journey doesn't stop there. You have to pass the training or else, that means goodbye. And if you are endorsed to the operations, oh well, congratulations but still you have a long way to go! I for myself, is a living witness on how hard and tough it is to be in a BPO industry but on the positive note, despite the difficulties and the hardships, it molded me as a person and I learned a lot of lessons in life from my day-to-day living to survival. I took the challenge no matter how hard it is because at the end of the day, there's a new experience that comes along, new people to meet and a new opportunity. Who would have thought, I would become a Trainer? That's because of my determination and hard work and simply because the cliche I once thought has somehow became a passion, a love for my job and for me, this is where my future lies.
So, if you think it is degrading when you are working in a call center? Think again, as easy as it may sound but it's as hard and it's as challenging as it seems to be. Truth be told, without these call center agents, who would answer your queries and walk you through the steps, or perhaps who would assist you when technical problems arise? Therefore, I salute to every employee working in a call center and I call them the modern heroes because despite the attractive salary they're getting is the toughness and survival of staying in the job just to assist your concern matters most. They might be having a fun time with their team building or perhaps dining out after shift or a lavish lifestyle, it's because they deserve to reward themselves for a job well done. See for yourself and you'll know what I mean.
Looking for a job? Check out Sykes Recruitment and Careers and see what's in store for you!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
