FOR CALL CENTER PEOPLE: What Do You Miss In Life When You Work For A Call Center?

[StArBuXs]

May namimiss ba kayo since you started working in a call center? Explain. (Parang tanong sa exam. Hehehe!)

[mikeabundo]

As an aggressive outbound agent, I check one thing at the door when I get to work -- my soul.

Sometimes I forget to pick it up when I leave.

[Burberry_gurl]

i miss life!!! i hate it when all i do is work... sleep... work.... depressing....

[neth_row]

Wala. It's all about balancing.

[bigbadwolf]

I miss watching movies sa hapon (wala kasi masyadong tao e). Ngayon, di na pwede kasi itutulog ko na lang yun.

[enid_warren]

....talking to my friends about our daily experiences with school or work...kasi naman, pag umaga,nasa opis sila or nasa school, ako nasa kama, pag gising ko sa hapon, on the way home palang sila, pag dating ko sa opis, shempre no time to talk over the regular phone....kahit may YM kaming lahat, tulog na sila pag online ko...

[mintfreak]

bago bago plang ako sa work so mdyo ndi ko pa alam kung ano ang mga sobrang mamimiss ko..
pag alam ko na post ko dito..

[anya_lang]

personally, wala naman akong nami-miss since i started working in a call center. i was able to adjust naman my schedule well and besides, meron namang rest days for gimiks.

less hectic nga ang sked ko ngayon compared when i was working 9-5.

[firewoman24]

matulog ng normal

[TiNyCuTiE]

nightlife...watching tv at night..yun lang

[Una_dagmar]

I miss going home for the holidays and chillin' out like most "normal' employees do during long weekends and holidays. I don't mind getting paid more, but honestly, I just wish that working on those days would be a choice and not an obligation. 'Taas nga ng bayad pero stressed out naman.

I miss the privacy of having my own office, and interacting with other people aside from those at work.

Furthermore, I miss snuggling in bed at NIGHT with my sheets cold and the room dark (except for my nightlight). It's totally different having to sleep during the day when everyone is awake (and NOISY - hey, you can't blame 'em.)

The good side to working in a call center is having to miss the rush hour and all the hustle and bustle of a regular 9-5 job. The pay is a major factor in making me stay in this job despite it's downside. Beat being paid more than or equal to 10k per month! Of course, there's this pride that we all have in working in a call center - being able to contribute to the progress of our country (naks!)

[ambertookme]

watching news and current affair programs at night.

[jiggybabymiggz]

I enjoy working in a call center because people are diversified. I dont miss anything since i work normal work hours for 5 days in a week. In fact, i miss my officemates there since i am no longer working with that call center but for a different company now.

[mintfreak]

so far ang namimiss ko ay ang manood ng tv sa gabi since graveyard ang shift namin...at ang matulog sa gabi..

[mikeabundo]

The rest of Philippine society. We're time-shifted away from them.

[altec]

naalala ko tuloy nung nag ojt ako sa isang semicon company on occassions, night shift kame-> 10pm-6am and i remember one hazy 3am breakfast, i swore to myself a hinde ganun yung trabaho ko after graduation... on the frist few months i was very enthusiastic about the work and euphoric on the fact that i'm earning my own money but then the novelty wore off real fast and was glad that it was over after 5 mos. still i'm glad that i've gone through that experience... yet there's gotta be more to life

... call center... hmmm hewan ko, i'm currently employed now pero parang gustong kong i try man lang at least once magwork for one; tutal insomniac naman ako, could articulate myself relatively well in english, add to the fact that the salary sounds tempting

[one_shot]

Actually, it depends on how you look at things and what you believe in. Of course, not everything is perfect - you get some, you lose some. By getting into a call center, you get a higher pay - but you face a lot of pressure, you face irate callers, you work on GY shifts and shifting schedule and even Holidays and OTs when required, for some (particularly in the outbound) you have to meet your quota. But all these sacrifices are sought to be compensated well with above-minimum night diff pays, and in most cases, allowances or incentives.

The economic impact of call centers really has a tremendous effect on the employee. But then again, it comes with a price - a price you won't mind if you're the type of person who's willing to sacrifice a good night's rest, even your own social and family life - that is, if you're satisfied having your co-workers and company as their substitute.

BTW, I'm currently working as an HR Assistant in a call center, not well-known, not that good either - and I'm leaving soon. Don’t get me wrong, I love call centers. In fact, I really wanted to be a part of a call center before, perhaps even now. Maybe because of the ambiance, maybe it's because this is where most fresh graduates go into... and maybe because it is a high-paying job.

You see, my dad is ill since last year - I'm the only guy in the family and I'm the only one who was able to finish college among my siblings - my sisters are still in college. Everybody in the family expects a lot from me, so I tried applying to the top call centers in Makati... kakainis nga dati palagi akong NQ. Anyways, I managed to be accepted in one, and I thought I had it then... inbound siya; sure, it may be high-paying, hotel-like yung ambiance, and you have great people working around you - pero scam yung account - I can't stand the thought of slamming people and so I left.

But I still wanted to work in a call center. Ganda ng workplace e, tapos ka-same age level mo yung iba mong co-workers, para bang college. So hanap uli ako for how many months and I managed to land on one again, it's not a popular call center but they hired me for an HR Assistant position instead (naks)... I was put in charge of recruitment - conducting exams and interviews and stuff. A few months passed and I felt I'm not happy with the environment and pay (well, as I've mentioned it's definitely NOT one of the best, as in ang LAYO ng itsura and standards from the rest - they can't even provide a work station for their new hires which included me BTW)

For the past few months I tried looking for other companies for the same position, ngayon lang sila nagrereply. Nakakatawa lang kasi medyo matagal na akong naghintay for how many months and a lot of things have already happened...

But before we get to that, I just would like to share with you something I got from my friends in call centers when we last had a serious discussion. Sure, they might be earning a lot, pero hindi pa rin daw nila ipagpapalit yung tulog sa gabi. I also asked them what are their long-term plans (ala-HR ba? hehe, yan ang natutunan ko sa Recruitment), they all have the same answers - they won't be staying long, they want to establish a business (kahit anong business pa yun), but definitely they won't be staying long in the call center.

The funny thing is I also get the same answer from a lot of applicants that I come along during their interview when I throw them the question "what are your long term plans?" (perhaps 5-10 years). I appreciate their honesty so much because now I can see a trend, and I can draw a generalization from their response.

Most Customer Interaction Associates, Customer Service Associates, Call Center Agents, eReps (whatever you call them), etc. - want to live a normal life if they were given the chance to work on a dayshift with the same or higher rate compared to what they are receiving.

Now, why am I leaving the call center? It just so happened that I gained enough capital to establish a mini-business. I have already tendered my resignation effective next month - I've been receiving replies from the top call centers in Makati. Ironic nga e, when I needed them most dun sila ala. I guess God has other plans for me... including saving my dad and securing my sisters' future - both, I believe, could be attained by our soon to be established family business.

Anyways, sa akin lang, it all depends on you, it all depends on what you really want. You alone have the power to choose your own path, if you're going to climb the call center's corporate ladder, or to pursue what you really want - and in my case and most of call center agents' case (again, MOST) : having your own business. It’s not enough that we dream, it is also up to us to act, to put this dream into reality. That’s what I just did. Maraming uncertainties but that’s part of life and I’m going through it. What I’m trying to say is that if you plan on having your own business, why not establish it in the soonest possible time if you have the opportunity di ba? You work for nobody else but yourself, you own your time, and best of all - you live a normal life, not apart from the rest of your family, friends, and the society; you enjoy the things you want to enjoy - after all, this is what life is all about!

[StArBuXs]

Ouch! Actually, that was the same response when I was asked about my long term goals with regards to my career. Actually, I do want to get in to business sometime too and probably get my masteral degree.

[altec]

thanks for the insight one_shot; nga eh, i get the feeling that working in a call center is perhaps, not something you want to do for the whole of your productive years... pero with the money you're earning, you could indeed scrimpt, save it up and use it later for some entrepreneurial endeavor. Godspeed sayo...

i graduated last march, never really entertained the thought of going into the call center route thinking that i'll prolly quit sooner or later. (After say, 5 years then quitting, ano na ibang job prospects ko?) a friend of mine who dabbled, entered but quit in less than a month! she's taking up law now ... i'm fortunate that my parents is willing & able to support me, my gameplan for next SY is enroll in creative writing while teaching 6-9 units, though i'm certain i wouldn't be earning as much as you do... i would be mirroring your view that: different people take different paths since we're in different circumstances and have arbitrary definitions of success

[altec]

ei, a song nga pala para sa mga insomniacs, graveyard shift peeps:

Daysleeper
by R.E.M.

Receiving dept 3 a m
Staff cuts have socked up the overage
Directives are posted
No callbacks complaints
Everywhere is calm

Hong kong is present
Taipei awakes
All talk of circadian rhythm

I see today with a newsprint fray
My night is colored headache grey
Daysleeper

The bull and the bear are marking
Their territories
They’re leading the blind with
Their international glories

I’m the screen the blinding light
I’m the screen I work at night

I see today with a newsprint fray
My night is colored headache grey
Don’t wake me with so much
Daysleeper

I cried the other night
I can’t even say why
Fluorescent flat caffeine lights
Its furious balancing

I’m the screen the blinding light
I’m the screen I work at night
I see today
Don’t wake me with so much the
Ocean machine is set to 9
I’ll squeeze into heaven and valentine
My bed is pulling me
Gravity
Daysleeper daysleeper
Daysleeper daysleeper daysleeper